Façade
by KlonoaDreams
Summary: AU They still haven't noticed. Not Dojima, Nanako…not even my own parents. I have already come to accept this from my parents...they can't even remember what gender I am. The male Yasogami High uniform I received was enough to prove that. Until somebody figures it out, I'm Yu Narukami, a male student from the big city attending Yasogami High for the next year. Fem!Yu
1. Welcome to Inaba

A/N Hello people! It's your favorite authoress starting yet another new story despite having numerous, unfinished stories that desperately need to be updated. Hope you won't hold it against me! ^^ *gets bricked*

Yeah, I expected that…anyways, as you can see, aside from starting a new story, I'm entering a new fandom, the _Persona_ series. Specifically, I'm getting into _Persona 4 _territory. Never before in my life have I ever been firm on starting this story. I had thoughts about it when I started watching a Let's Play of _Persona 4_ (NakaTeleeli), but when I got my PS Vita and copy of _Persona 4 Golden_ on 2-2-13, it was official…

I was writing this story. So yeah, just a heads up…you see that T rating? Yeah, that's eventually going to be an M rating. Why? Dude, this is a _Persona 4_ story…the game's rated M for Mature for reasons I'll get into later in this story.

Also, standard disclaimer so I don't get my ass sued!

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything related to the Shin Megami Tensei series, which includes the Persona series, and Atlus!**

Though, considering my plans to be a game designer...nah, too soon to be thinking such! XD Oh, and before I forget, I'm going off of _Persona 4 Golden_. I'm being specific here because there is a huge difference between _Golden_ and the original. I won't say exactly what, but for those who have played the original…you'll figure it out soon enough.

I'm also including some things from the anime and manga. Oh, and of course, my creativity, which is the reason why this story is AU…now read on!

"This" is talking

"_This"_ is thoughts

_This_ is writing, dreams, flashbacks

"_**This"**_ is transmissions, TV, radio

* * *

_A blue limousine drives through the thick fog on a road that seems to be heading toward nowhere. It is quiet and serene and the limousine's pacing is slow. There are passengers inside the limousine, the Velvet Room as it is referred to as._

_An old man with an unusually long nose, huge eyes, and an odd smile is seated by the partition window. He is not alone as sitting to his left, is a young woman with golden eyes and ashen blonde hair. She is dressed in blue, matching the blue-colored interior of the limousine. A tome rests on her lap__._

_Their attention is focused on their guest, who sits across from them at the far end of the limousine. Introductions are made and possible familiarities are formed. The old man is Igor and the young woman is his assistant, Margaret._

"_Do you believe in fortune telling?" Igor asks as he spreads a number of cards on the table in front of him._

_There is no response from their guest, so the question is left unanswered._

_Igor does not mind and continues to speak. "Each reading is done with the same cards, yet the result is always different…" He pauses to chuckle and then continues with another question. "Life follows the same principles, doesn't it?"_

_Again, there is no answer__, only silence, which is then broken with the sound of a card flipping over. Said card has a pictur__e of a tower stricken by lightning, from which two small figures were falling down._

"_Hm… The Tower in the upright position represents the immediate future. It seems a terrible catastrophe is imminent. The card indicating the future beyond that is…"_

_Flip._

_Another card is flipped over and it is, "The Moon, in the upright position. This card represents 'hesitation' and 'mystery'…Very interesting indeed. It seems you will encounter a misfortune at your destination, and a great mystery will be imposed upon you."_

_Their guest is perplexed, but still silent._

"_In the coming days, you will enter into a contract of some sort, after which you will return here. The coming year is a turning point in your destiny… If the mystery goes unsolved, your future may be forever lost…" Igor is serious, but still manages to keep his odd smile. "My duty is to provide assistance to our guests to ensure that does not happen. __We shall attend to details another time. Until then, farewell, Yu Narukami…__"_

…

* * *

…

"_**I'm tired of diets! Enough with going to the gym! Good thing there's something even I can handle!"**_ A giggle followed the peppy female voice coming from the commercial playing over on the television-covered wall.

The commercial caused a slim, silver-haired individual to jerk violently from his thoughts. Curiosity caused him to take a glance at the commercial.

"_**Slim down this summer with the refreshing taste of Calorie Magic."**_ A different voice had replaced the previous, peppy female voice. It was an advertisement for a beverage…one that this individual had no intent on ever trying out. It was going to take much more than a bikini-clad girl to convince him to try out Calorie Magic.

"_I'll stick to TaP Soda…"_ It was the soda beverage of his preference and he was going to leave it at that. The silver-haired individual adjusted his grip on his duffle bag, barely suppressing a yawn as he did so. He had a rather strange dream last night involving him, Yu Narukami, and two very peculiar people, Igor and Margaret, in a limousine. He had been thinking it over until a _certain_ commercial, just now, broke him of his train of thought.

"_**And, we're back…Now for some juicy news, the 'Mayumi-Yamano' Scandal—"**_

And there goes the news involving that scandal…

"Feh, first he bags a singer, and then he has an affair with a TV announcer on the site?" A passerby man was definitely not amused. "Do chicks really dig Politicians?"

A woman overheard the man and decided to engage in conversation with him. "Isn't it just stuff like money and connections?"

Yu narrowed his eyes and tried to block out the ongoing conversation. He was growing rather tired of the news and gossip about the scandal. Times like these, a pair of headphones and some loud music would be really good to block out everything like this. _"Maybe I should have bought those headphones when I had the chance last __week…"_

Luckily, for him, the loud squeal of wheels announced the arrival of the subway car, the one he had been waiting for in the past hour or so. The soft hiss of the brakes followed by a loud beeping signaled that the doors had opened. It was time for him to leave.

Before he could do anything, Yu found himself being pushed forward as people began to board. Once he settled in, he grabbed onto one of the hanging handles, having been unable to obtain a seat. Most of the seats were already occupied to begin with, so it didn't matter to him.

Yu stared dully out the window in front of him as the car began to move. He sighed. _"Another year, another school…"_ He looked down at the clothing he wore. _"And another uniform to break in…"_

He was starting to lose count of the amount of school uniforms he had accumulated in the past years he had to move about because of his parents' work. Though, that was all being left behind, as his parents decided to go overseas without him and instead, leave him with an uncle he barely even knew.

"_Now that I think of it…" _Yu flipped out his cell phone and checked a text message he had been sent not too long ago.

_Meet us outside Yasoinaba Station at 4PM._

"_**We will arrival at the Yasogami terminal in a few minutes,"**_ a voice announced over the train's PA system. _**"Passengers headed for Inaba City and Yasoinaba Station, please move to the other side of the platform."**_

Well, speak of the devil… _"I guess that's me."_

Following the rest of the passengers, Yu slipped off the train with ease and made his way across the cement boarding station. He boarded the next train and noted that very few people followed him aboard. There weren't many passengers, so it was a plus for him as he was able to find an empty seat this time around.

After tossing his duffel bag on the overhead storage rack, Yu sat down and decided to take the time to relax. He ended up dozing off, waking up only when the train finally reached a stop. He had awoken quite abruptly from his sleep when that happened, no thanks to the dream he just had.

"_Velvet Room…"_ He was back with Igor and Margaret in the dream. It was almost as if he was being reminded by them. He sighed and stood up to grab his duffle bag. It was time to get off the train.

…

"_**Yasoinaba. Yasoinaba."**_ A man announced over the PA as Yu stepped off the train. He looked around slowly, taking note of his surroundings.

The station was well kept and clean, but rather empty. Its older look implied that not many people left or entered the area, which didn't surprise Yu at all. Shouldering his duffle bag, he took in a deep breath before exhaling slowly.

"_Now's the time to start over from scratch…"_ Nobody knew who he was, aside from the fact that he came from the city…and that's about it. He might as well take advantage of it…

"Hey!" a man's voice called out. "Over here!"

Yu blinked and walked down the steps, making his way towards a man who was waving at him. The man appeared to be in his late thirties, maybe early forties, and was dressed in a gray shirt with a dark red tie and dark brown slacks. The man was accompanied by a brown-haired, pigtailed girl who clung tightly onto his shirt as she stood behind him. She wore a white turtleneck underneath her dress and had pink ribbons tied in her brown hair.

The man smiled at Yu and held out his hand. Yu took his hand and shook it, noting that the man's grip was firm.

"Well, you're more handsome in person than in your photo," the man remarked as he released his grip on Yu's hand. "Welcome to Inaba. I'm Ryotaro Dojima. I'll be looking after you. Let's see…I'm your mother's younger brother…and that about sums it up."

"_So that makes you my uncle…"_ Yu thought as he looked at Dojima. He didn't really find Dojima familiar…in fact, he wasn't even sure if he ever met Dojima before. As far as he knew, this is the first time he met the guy, which means… "It's nice to meet you."

Dojima chuckled as he rubbed the back of his head. "You probably don't remember, but we've met. I've changed your diapers before, you know."

…

…

…

"_Okay, awkward…"_ Yu felt the blood drain from his face. _"Well, at least this explains why I don't remember him…"_

Still, the man just practically confessed to seeing Yu naked and that didn't bode well for him. It almost made him feel self-conscious, but Yu shrugged it off. He really shouldn't let things like that get to him…

Dojima turned his attention to the pigtailed girl by his side and gently pushed her forward. "This here's my daughter."

Dojima's daughter took one look at Yu before diverting her eyes on the ground. She was rather shy…

"Come on, Nanako, introduce yourself to your cousin," Dojima said encouragingly.

Nanako hesitated at first, but she managed to at least say, "…'lo."

Yu blinked as a small blush tinged his cheeks. "…Cute…"

Nanako's face turned bright red and almost immediately, she darted back behind her father to hide her red face. Dojima chuckled again, finding this rather amusing.

"What're you so shy for—ow!" he yelped as a small hand struck him hard on the backside. "Hahaha…"

Nanako diverted her gaze. "Hmm…"

"Ahem, well then…let's get going," Dojima said, trying to change the subject. "My car's over there."

Yu nodded and followed after Dojima and Nanako. However, he had only taken a few steps when, suddenly…

"…Hey," a voice said.

Yu stopped walking and turned. He saw a black-haired girl bend down to pick up a piece of paper off the ground. She stood up and held out the paper to Yu. "You dropped this."

Yu nodded his head. "Thank you."

"Whatever," the girl replied. "All I did was pick it up."

Yu walked closer to the girl to receive the paper. He got a better look at the girl. The girl had gray eyes and wore a sleeveless white shirt with a short black necktie and a checkered skirt. Along with this, she had on a black belt and a fancy, golden buckle that resembled a heart with wings. She wore striped stockings with gray boots and wore a choker with a lock on it.

She seemed around his age and looked rather unfriendly, but he wasn't one to judge people by their appearance. She probably wasn't used to talking to people or rather, people she didn't know…like Yu.

"_I am new to Inaba…"_ Yu thought to himself as he looked over the paper. He blinked as he realized it was the note he made himself with Dojima's address. The girl was underestimating herself. She just managed to save him the trouble of having to obtain Dojima's address again. Before he could say anything, the girl turned around and walked away.

Yu wanted to go after her, but decided not to. Dojima was probably waiting for him.

"_Besides, Inaba is a small town,"_ Yu thought to himself. _"I'll probably run into her again."_

"What's wrong?" Dojima asked as he helped Nanako get into the car.

Yu looked at Dojima and shook his head. "Nothing."

After dropping his duffle bag into the trunk, Yu hopped into the car and sat in the backseat. Nanako sat in the front seat next to her father. The ride into town was quiet…until Nanako started squirming around in her seat.

"What's wrong?" Dojima asked.

Nanako looked down at her lap as a small blush tinged her cheeks. "…"

Dojima blinked and smiled. "Oh, you need to use the restroom—ouch!"

Nanako had just finished punching her father in the arm. She looked away afterward, trying her best to hide her red face. Yu couldn't help but smile at this scene.

…

…

Dojima pulled into a gas station in the Central Shopping District. An attendant with long, wavy gray hair ran out to greet and assist them.

"Hi! Welcome to Moel!" The attendant had a boyish, feminine voice.

Dojima turned to Nanako. "Can you go to the bathroom by yourself?"

"Uh-huh," Nanako answered before getting out of the car. She looked around, trying to locate the restroom.

"It's in the back to your left," the attendant piped up helpfully, still grinning. "Do you know which way is left? The side you don't hold your chopsticks in."

"I know!" Nanako pouted, looking slightly annoyed. "Geez…"

Nanako looked back at her father once more before running of toward the station. Moments after, Yu opened the door and stepped out of the car. It felt good to stretch, Yu noted as he stretched out his arms and legs.

"Are you taking a trip?" the attendant asked Dojima.

Dojima looked over his shoulder at Yu. "No, we just went to pick him up. He just moved here from the big city."

The attendant looked curiously at Yu. "The city, huh…?"

"Fill up my car while you're at it," Dojima said as he looked at his car. "Regular's fine."

"Right away, sir!" the attendant said cheerfully.

Dojima glanced off into the distance. "Good a time as any for a smoke…"

"_So he likes to smoke…"_ Yu thought as he watched Dojima walk off to the edge of the sidewalk.

"Are you in high school?"

Yu turned to the gas station attendant, nodding silently in response.

"Does it surprise a city boy to see how little there is out here?" The attendant looked curiously at Yu. "There's so little to do, I'm sure you'll get bored fast. You'll either be hanging out with your friends or doing part-time jobs."

Yu wasn't actually paying attention to what the attendant was saying. He was paying attention to something else. He had no idea if the attendant was male or female, due to appearance and voice… It was difficult for Yu to not feel awkward.

"Hey, are you listening?"

That snapped Yu out of his thoughts. "Huh?"

"I was just saying that we're looking for part-time help right now, here at Moel," the attendant explained. "Give it some thought, why don't you? We don't mind if you're a student."

This time, Yu was paying attention and he decided to take up the attendant's offer. "Sure, I'll give it some thought."

The attendant smiled and extended a hand to Yu. Yu extended his own hand slowly, taking the offered handshake. The two exchanged a few more words of conversation before Nanako returned from using the restroom.

"Oh, I should get back to work," the attendant said, walking away at once.

Yu noticed that Nanako was looking at him. He opened his mouth to speak when a sudden wave of dizziness slammed into him at full force. His hand immediately went to his forehead once his head began to throb. His head felt like it was being split open…

"Are you okay?" Nanako frowned. "Did you get carsick? You don't look too good…"

Yu swallowed hard as he felt nausea bubbling within his stomach. "Ngh…"

"What's wrong?" Dojima had returned. He took one look at Yu and frowned. "You okay?"

"I don't feel good…" Yu murmured.

Dojima sighed. "Let's hurry home, then…"

Dojima and Nanako helped Yu get into the car. He had fallen asleep on the way to the Dojima residence. Once there, Nanako gently shook her cousin awake.

"We're here," she said.

Yu looked bleary-eyed at Nanako. He rubbed his eyes and yawned, noting that his dizziness and nausea was gone. He definitely felt better, now…

"You're okay, right?" Nanako asked.

Yu smiled and nodded. "Yeah…"

…

The two-story house was traditionally styled, and a deep chocolate brown in color. It seemed simple enough, but Yu didn't really mind. This was the place that would be his home for the next year. It felt…strange.

"_You'd think I'd be used to this…"_ Yu thought as he entered the house. Apparently, he wasn't as he found the inside of the house rather shocking. It wasn't that Dojima's house was a complete mess, but rather how it seemed like people actually _lived_ in the house.

Nanako seated herself down by the table in the living room and turned on the television. Dojima took Yu's duffle bag from him and told him to have a seat. Yu almost hesitated as he wanted to unpack first, but his suddenly throbbing head made him think twice. Yu decided he could do that later as he sat down on the sofa. He leaned back into the cushion, shutting his eyes as he felt another sharp throb through his skull.

"_What…the hell is going on?"_ Yu sighed, opening his eyes. He was growing annoyed with his throbbing head. The pain just wouldn't go away…

"You okay with take-out tonight?" Dojima asked once he returned from the second floor.

"I don't really mind," Yu replied.

"Can we go to Junes, Dad?" Nanako suddenly sprang to life. She was quick to run to her father's side, looking up at him with pleading eyes. Dojima chuckled and reached down to ruffle her hair.

"Oh, all right then." Dojima turned to Yu. "You have my number, right?"

Yu pulled out his cell phone and checked his contact list, which was nearly empty save for the one contact that actually mattered at the moment. "I have it right here."

"All right, we'll be back. Make yourself at home in the meantime." With that said, Dojima and Nanako left the house.

…

…

Yu looked up at the ceiling and sighed. He closed his eyes for a moment and tried to relax.

"_He did say I can make myself at home…"_ Yu thought before he dozed off.

…

…

The sound of rain filled the house and woke Yu from his sleep. He rubbed his eye and yawned as he held up his cell phone to check the time. An hour had passed and Nanako and Dojima had yet to return from Junes. Yu sighed and put his cell phone back in his pocket.

"_How far is Junes, anyways?"_ There were a lot of things that Yu didn't know about Inaba. He made a mental note to tour around Inaba when he had the chance. He needed to get used to his surroundings if he wanted to get through the year.

A few minutes had passed before Nanako and Dojima finally returned from Junes. Dinner consisted of sushi and TaP soda. After a quick toast, the three started eating.

"So…your mom and dad are busy as always…" Dojima said as he looked at Yu. "They're working overseas, was it?"

Yu had been drinking from his can of TaP soda when Dojima asked the question. He turned to his uncle and nodded in response.

Dojima continued. "I know it's only for a year, but getting stuck in a place like this because of your parents…It's rough being a kid."

Yu really didn't mind anymore. He was rather used to this by now. However, it was nice to know that someone cared.

"Well, it's just me and Nanako here, so it'll be nice having someone like you around," Dojima said with a smile. "So as long as you're here, you're part of the family, so make yourself at home."

"Thank you for your kindness." Yu smiled warmly.

Dojima chuckled. "C'mon, there's no need to be so formal. Look, you're making Nanako all tense."

Nanako blinked, having heard her name. Her face turned red when she realized the attention was all on her. She looked down, trying her best to hide her red face.

"Well, anyway…let's eat." And they were just about to do that when someone's phone started ringing.

_PI PI PI PI PI PI PI!_

"Ugh…who's calling at this hour?" Dojima pulled out his cell phone and answered. "Dojima speaking…" Dojima stood up and walked away from Nanako and Yu. "Yeah? I see…So where is it?"

…

…

"All right, I'm on my way." Dojima sighed. "Looks like I made the right choice to skip the booze…"

Yu turned to Nanako and noticed she looked depressed. Something told him that this wasn't the first time this has happened.

"Sorry, but I gotta go take care of some business," Dojima said with an apologetic look. "Go ahead and eat without me. I don't know how late I'll be. Nanako, you help him out, okay?"

Nanako nodded, her shoulders slumping slightly as her father walked toward the door. The sound of rain filled the house as the door was opened.

"Nanako, what did you do with the laundry?" It had been a question Dojima had forgotten to ask Nanako earlier.

"I brought it in this morning," Nanako replied.

"…All right. Well, I'm off."

The door closed and after a few moments, Nanako and Yu heard a car drive away. Nanako sighed and turned on the television.

"—_**for this week. Next, let's take a look at the hourly breakdown of tomorrow's weather. With storm clouds moving in from the west, expect rain throughout the day tomorrow in most areas."**_

Nanako looked back at her plate. "Let's eat."

Yu found himself alone with Nanako, who was looking rather lonely. He decided to strike up a conversation. "What does your dad do?"

"He…investigates stuff." Nanako sounded nervous. "Like crime scenes. My dad's a detective."

"_**And now for the local news. City council secretary Taro Namatame is under fire for an alleged relationship with a female reporter. His wife, enka ballad sensation Misuzu Hiiragi, revealed to this station that she will likely pursue damages. In response, Eye Television has decided to cancel all of announcer Mayumi Yamano's televised appearances. Until allegations of an affair with Mr. Namatame are resolved, she'll remain off the air and out of the public eye."**_

Nanako made a face. "…This is boring."

"Please change the channel…" Yu had heard enough of this back at the city.

Nanako did just that.

"_**At Junes, everyday is Customer Appreciation Day. Come see for yourself, and get in touch with our products! Every day's great at your Junes!"**_

Nanako perked up and smiled. "Every day's great at your Junes!"

Yu stared at Nanako, somewhat stunned with her sudden change of character. She was certainly happier than before.

"Aren't you going to eat?" Nanako stopped smiling.

Yu looked down at his plate and started eating. He wasn't aware how hungry he was until now.

…

…

After dinner, Yu spent the rest of the evening in the room he was borrowing from Dojima. Boxes were sitting in stacks in the room. Yu managed to move some that were in the way. By now, he had changed out of his uniform and was now wearing a white, long-sleeved shirt with loose, black pants.

Originally, he was planning to start unpacking, but he was tired.

"_I'll do that tomorrow…"_ he thought as he sat down on the black sofa. He closed his eyes for a moment and opened them. He blinked when he spotted something on the table in front of him.

There was a small package with his name on it. Curious, Yu reached over and picked up the package. It turned out to be a journal, a gift from Dojima, as noted by the letter that came along with it.

_I thought you might like to write about your time in Inaba._

_You know, have something to look back on when you leave._

_Dojima_

Yu looked at the letter and then at the journal. He was about ready to drop the journal and go to sleep, finding it a waste of time at first. However, he thought twice about it and decided to try it out. It would be a good way for him to clear his mind…

…

It took Yu a couple of minutes to find a pencil before he sat back down on the sofa and opened the journal. It took him a few more minutes to figure out what exactly he wanted to write in his newly obtained journal.

When he was done, Yu closed the journal and left it on the table. He then made his way over to the blue futon on the floor, about ready to call it a night. He had a long day and right now, he wanted nothing more than to go to sleep…and he did.

…

…

* * *

_Monday, April 11__th__, 2011_

_It's only the first day and already, I'm looking forward to spending the year with Dojima and Nanako. Inaba doesn't seem that bad of a place. School starts tomorrow, so I guess that's something I can look forward to…maybe. I don't know. My opinion might change once I get there._

_Still, I'm going to try and make friends this time around. I can't distance myself anymore and this is the only chance I get to start over from scratch. Nobody knows who I am or the reputation I made for myself. That's enough motivation for me._

_Maybe I'll see that girl from the station at school tomorrow. I never got her name…_

…

_I still have no clue if the Moel Gas Station Attendant is male or female. I might not even take up that job offering just because of that reason. It'd be too awkward…speaking of which…_

…

…

_They still haven't noticed._

_Not Dojima, Nanako…not even my own parents._

…

_Of course, I have already come to accept this from them, my parents. Nowadays, it seems my parents barely even notice I exist. I just wanted their attention and this is what I get._

_I get left behind while they go overseas. Not only that, but I also have to deal with the mistake they made. A mistake I'll most likely have to deal with for the next year because I doubt my parents will be able to figure it out on their own while they're overseas without me._

_I've had enough of this crap._

_I give up…_

_My own parents can't even remember what gender I am. The male Yasogami High uniform I received was enough to prove that. At least Dojima has a reason...I mean, from what he said, the last time we met was when I was still in diapers. A lot of time has passed since then, so I guess it's an honest mistake...but I was still hoping he would notice._

_Until somebody figures it out, I'm Yu Narukami, a male student from the big city attending Yasogami High for the next year. I already left whatever clothing I owned back at home and spent most of my allowance on new clothes suitable for my…"apparent gender"._

_I could care less about what I'm getting myself into…I've stopped giving a damn about that the moment I received the male Yasogami High uniform. I'm just tired of this…_

…

…

…

* * *

A/N End of chapter. Okay guys, if you haven't figured it out by the summary or the image for this story…this is a genderbender and Yu Narukami is my choice for this story. I'm telling you right now that from the next chapter and on, I will be referring to Yu with female pronouns.

Unlike Link in _Ambiguity_, my _Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword_ genderbender fic, Yu is aware that she is female and knows it, too. Her main problem stems from the fact her parents had registered her into Yasogami High as a male student.

Of course, people who have read _Secret or Misconception_ might find that scenario familiar, except for one thing… Unlike Jaden, Yu is nowhere near used to this. She barely sees her parents as is, no thanks to their work, so when she realizes the mistake they made…it's rather personal.

Jaden was at least close to her father, unlike Yu and her parents. Jaden's father at least made sure to correct his mistake by checking up on his daughter. Yu's parents didn't even notice they made a mistake.

I have plans for this story…big plans. Unlike _Ambiguity_ and _Secret or Misconception_, I plan on finishing this story. It's not to say I won't finish _Ambiguity_ and _Secret or Misconception_, I mean I have plans on getting back to them. It's just…I'm determined to actually finish this story first.

So be prepared to see me working on this. If not this, then _I am Trainer_ and possibly, _Gender Misconception_. I am firm with this decision…so I hope you'll stick with this story.

Review if you wish, but just know I don't accept flames. I welcome constructive criticism and anyone willing to take the time to show that they have read this story. I spend whatever little time I have left on fanfiction because…guess what? KD is graduating this year. She's turning eighteen…and she's also going to a university this coming fall.

Just want to let you guys know where I am in life! I've come a long way since I first became a member of this site when I was thirteen going on fourteen. So I'm happy with the progress I made, just not the amount of stories I have left unfinished and on hiatus…sorry! DX

Welp, that's about all I have to say! Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Until next time, KD out! XD


	2. Who Wants to Talk About Murder?

Fog obstructed Yu's vision. It was white and thick…and it was also everywhere.

"_Where am I—what happened to my clothes?"_ Apart from not knowing where she was, the question as to when exactly did she changed out of her sleeping attire and into her school uniform popped up in mind. Yu decided to not think about what happened to her clothing and tried to focus more on her surroundings. From the looks of it, she could only move forward.

"_Forward it is, then…"_ she thought as she broke into a slow run. She followed the dim outline of the red path. Her shoes clicked loudly against the ground, sounding like the soft rhythm of a ticking clock. Apart from her footsteps, it was practically silent…

"Do you seek the truth…?"

It was just so sudden, almost out of nowhere. Yu came to an abrupt stop. She looked around, her heart practically pounding with her chest. She had no clue who had spoken, but there was only one way to find out…and that meant she had to keep moving forward. And she did, after calming down.

"If it's truth you desire, come and find me…" The voice sounded much closer this time…

"_It's coming from ahead," _Yu thought as she kept running. She felt a chill run up her spine, but she ignored it. Nothing was going to stop her…except for that crimson and black wall. She nearly ran into the wall, but managed to stop early before that happened. She stood still, her face inches away from the walls surface.

There was someone beyond the wall…she could sense it. Suddenly, the wall began to vibrate. She immediately moved back, watching as the wall merged and collapsed within itself. Bright light emerged from the opening and soon engulfed everything, including Yu.

Once the light waned, Yu was aware of a few things. One, there was more fog than before. Two, she was holding something in her hands. Looking down, Yu found that she was holding a katana. It felt cold and was somewhat heavy.

"So…You are the one pursuing me…"

And three, she didn't know who it was, but Yu knew that there was someone ahead, hidden in the fog. She could see its figure, but could not distinguish its gender. It had a voice…and it was most likely the same voice that had been speaking to her this whole time. Her grip on the katana tightened as she took a step forward.

"Hmhmhm… Try all you like…" It was taunting her…

Yu thought of attacking the figure, but deemed it reckless as the fog obscured her vision. Miss or hit, she had no idea what the figure would do to her if she neared…or what it was capable of doing. Rather than risk it, Yu thought of an alternative. She dropped her katana and knelt down. The katana clattered onto the ground, the sound reverberating throughout the vicinity. The figure displayed confusion, which was quickly replaced with a cry of startled pain.

Yu nodded her head firmly in satisfaction. She had just finished throwing her left shoe at the figure. Her aim was quite accurate, despite the fog, as she heard the impact of sole against skull and the figure's pained cry. She quickly picked up her katana and prepared herself.

"It seems you can see a little, despite the fog…" the figure sounded irritated, but stood still.

Yu considered throwing her other shoe at the figure again, but decided against it. One shoe was enough and it was safe to say that the figure was only observing her actions. She was still wary of the figure, however. At that moment, something stirred in the back of her mind. She arched her brow as a glowing, black card appeared in front of her, floating right in midair. She reached for the card and grasped it.

Yu's eyes widened as her grip on the card tightened until she completely crushed it. Something exploded in the back of her mind and a dark silhouette darted forward from behind her, raising an arm in the air as a bolt of lightning came down on the figure. However, nothing happened.

There was no cry of pain, just silence…until after a moment, the figure spoke. "I see… Indeed, you possess an interesting quality…"

The card appeared a second time and Yu crushed it in her hand once more. The dark silhouette appeared again, only this time; it charged forward and slammed into the figure. Again, nothing happened.

"But… You will not catch me so easily… If what you seek is 'truth,' then your search will be even harder…"

The figure glowed and a soft, hissing sound filled the air. The fog grew thicker and soon, everything was engulfed within the fog. Yu could no longer see anything…all she could see was white fog.

"_What the hell?"_ Yu looked around as her grip on the katana tightened.

"Everyone sees what they want to… And the fog only deepens…"

Yu lunged sideways, swinging her katana sharply as she noticed a faint shadow moving slowly to her left. The blade sliced through the fog, connecting only with air. A soft chuckle filled the area. A small bead of sweat rolled down the side of Yu's face as she looked around. There was nothing but silence and fog again…

Suddenly, a hand shot out in front of her face. Yu barely choked back a scream as she stared at the hand. It was big and black and the fingers were tipped with sharp metal. The hand was also closed into a tight fist. After a few moments, the hand opened and showed Yu what it had. It was her left shoe…the same one she had thrown at the figure.

Yu didn't have to put two and two together to figure out what had happened. Her shoe bad been thrown back at her with the intent that it would hit her right in the face. However, that was not the case as something—some_one_ prevented that from happening…and Yu was staring right at that someone's hand. It took her a few seconds to realize that she was being stared at, herself.

…

Silver eyes met with golden eyes. Yu noticed that they almost seemed to glow. That was all she could make out of the dark figure before her. A shadow was the only thing that could describe it. Aside from its eyes and hands, Yu couldn't make out its face and she could barely make out its shape. It was gigantic and its shape seemed humanoid.

Whatever it was, Yu wasn't frightened by it. In fact, she almost felt…comforted, by its presence.

"…Will we meet again…?"

Yu's gaze turned away from the towering shadow and to the fog. She had forgotten that there was someone else in the vicinity.

"Hmhm… I look forward to it…"

Yu dropped her katana and clutched her head. Her head was starting to spin, her sense of balance failing her as she swayed in place. She felt herself falling backwards, but something caught her. The last thing she saw before completely losing consciousness was a pair of golden eyes.

…

* * *

…

Yu woke up abruptly, gasping and looking around. Her heart was pounding and she was drenched in cold sweat. It took her a full minute to realize that she was still in her room. Almost immediately, Yu let out a shaky sigh in relief.

"_It was just a dream…"_ she thought to herself. _"Just a dream…? Tch, more like a nightmare…"_

KNOCK! KNOCK!

"Breakfast's ready!" It was Nanako.

Yu looked at the clock and noticed that it time to get up. She was starting school today…

"_I should probably get dressed…"_

…

…

Moments later after changing into her school uniform, Yu made her way downstairs into the living room. She was surprised to see Nanako setting the table alone, Dojima nowhere in sight.

"_Did she make breakfast?"_ Yu couldn't help but wonder.

"Good morning," Nanako said before setting down her plate on the table.

Yu nodded in response and sat down across from Nanako. Nanako stared at her plate of food for a few seconds before looking up.

"Okay, let's eat," she said.

Yu looked at her food and then at Nanako. "Do you do the cooking?"

"I can toast bread…and cook sunny-side up eggs in the morning…" Nanako looked at her plate. "Dad can't cook, so I buy dinner."

Yu was rather impressed, but at the same time, also sad. Nanako was only six years old, not that much younger than Yu had been when she first started cooking for herself. It was difficult for Yu not to feel sympathetic towards her cousin.

"You're starting school today, right?" Nanako smiled. "My school's on the way, so…let's go together."

Yu noticed that Nanako seemed somewhat restless. Nodding her head, Yu decided to take up her cousin's offer. "Okay, let's."

Nanako smiled widely in response and immediately started eating her breakfast. Yu did the same, not wanting to keep her growling stomach waiting any longer.

…

…

After breakfast, Nanako and Yu made their way towards their respective schools. It was raining outside, so the two took their umbrellas. Once they reached the Samegawa flood plains, Nanako pointed Yu in the right direction of Yasogami High and went in her own separate direction.

Yu walked forward, soon reaching an intersection in front of the school. She was no longer walking alone, now joined by other students wearing the same school uniform. She couldn't help but stare at the uniform the girls wore.

"_That's what I should have been wearing…" _she thought, sighing as she shook her head. _"It's not that bad…in fact, it's kinda cute—"_

Yu snapped out of her thoughts as a loud squealing noise from behind made her move to the side of the road. She turned and stared at a student attempting to hold an umbrella while riding a yellow, beat-up bike.

"Whoaaaa!"

Yu turned and shut her eyes, wincing as she heard the sound of metal crashing against metal, followed by a body slamming into something hard and solid. She turned back slowly, wincing as she watched the young man doubled over in pain, whimpering. She walked toward him, wanting to get a closer look.

"Ngh…Urrrrghhh…" The young man was in agonizing pain, clutching his… Yu immediately looked away and decided she should leave him be. There was no way she could help him out…not without blushing, which was what she was doing right now.

"_I hope he doesn't see me…"_ Yu thought as she briskly walked away.

…

As she approached the gates of the school, Yu paused and looked up at the building in front of her. The building was large and fairly glamorous for a school…at least, in her opinion. She had seen her share of schools and this one stuck out…in a good way. The courtyard was clean with well-kept bike racks off to the side and cherry blossom trees on both sides of the entrance.

"_What kind of student life awaits me here?"_ Yu could already tell that nothing would be like before…she would make sure of it. _"Well, time to head to the faculty office…"_

Of all the things Yu had been prepared for when she entered the school's faculty office, it was anything but this.

"What's a damn punk like you need in the faculty office?!"

Yu stared wide-eyed at the male teacher in front of her. He had straight bob-cut black hair, hazel eyes, and buck teeth. He wore a dark navy suit with white lines and a white collar long-sleeved shirt with a yellow and light orange checkered tie. Apart from his off-putting appearance, he seemed pissed off.

"_Crap…"_ Yu thought as a bead of sweat rolled down the side of her face.

The teacher arched his brow at Yu and walked closer to her. "Who the hell are you?"

Yu forced herself to smile. "I'm Yu Narukami."

The teacher scowled. "Ah, the transfer student…just what this school needs, another one! I bet you're just like that last one…"

Yu tried to ignore the teacher's glaring stare as he looked her over, almost with disgust. _"Just ignore him, Narukami…and hope he's not your homeroom teacher—"_

"And of course, you're stuck with me."

And just like that, Yu felt whatever new start she had here, go down the drain. Of all the possible teachers in the school, she got the one who'd love nothing more than to see her expelled before she even reach the classroom. _"Well, fuck…"_

"Follow me, and keep up!" As much as Yu didn't want to, she followed the teacher…whose name she still didn't know and by now, didn't _want_ to know.

"_Could be worse…"_ Yu thought to herself. _"Just be glad he doesn't know of your reputation back in the city…"_

…

…

Yu stared at the students in the classroom. She was rather shaken, having earned a bit of a "lecture" from the teacher prior to entering the classroom. The students had been talking to each other, most likely about her, considering the word that kept popping up in their conversations had been about a transfer student.

"Awright, shut your traps!" The teacher barked at the class, sending the students into an uneasy silence. "I'm Kinshiro Morooka, your homeroom teacher from today forward."

"_Welcome to __**hell**__…"_ Yu thought, finding the word rather appropriate for this situation.

"First things first! Just cuz it's spring doesn't mean you can swoon over each other like love-struck baboons."

Yu could see a few students shift uncomfortably in their seats. _"Note to self: avoid love."_

"Long as I'm around, you students are going to be pure as the driven snow!" Morooka turned his attention to Yu. "Now I hate wasting my time, but I'd better introduce this transfer student."

"_Oh, thank god I'm a part of your schedule, now…"_ Yu had never heard anyone say "transfer student" with such distaste.

"This sad sack's been thrown from the big city out to the middle of nowhere like yesterday's _garbage_."

Yu's eye twitched slightly as she wrote her name on the chalkboard. _"Just ignore him, Narukami…not worth giving the guy a better reason to bag on you…"_

"And he's just as much of a _loser_ here as he was there, so you _girls_ better not get any ideas about _hitting_ on him! Tell 'em your name, kid, and make it quick."

…

"_Fuck it…"_ Yu was beyond giving a damn. She turned to Morooka. "You calling me a loser?"

A collective set of gasps rose from the class as the students stared at Yu in awe, completely baffled with her bravery. Morooka glared at Yu as a vein popped out on his forehead. Yu smiled back innocently at Morooka, almost taunting him.

"Why you little—that's it! You're on my shit list, Yu Narukami, effective immediately." Morooka was seething with fury as he stared at Yu's calm composure.

"_Oh, you haven't heard the worst from me yet…"_ Yu smirked. _"I was being tame right now…"_

"Now listen up!" Morooka said forcefully. "This town is miles away from your big city of perverts and assholes, in more ways than one. You better not even think of getting involved with the girls here, let alone abusing them!"

"_You're assuming I'm interested…"_ Yu rolled her eyes.

"But what do I know…it's not like the old days," Morooka continued on. "Even here, kids grow up so damn fast. Every time I turn my back, you're fooling around on those damn phones, checking your FaceSpace and Tweeter pages."

"_Oh god, he's still going on…"_ Yu made a face.

A short-haired girl raised her hand. "Excuse me! Is it okay if the transfer student sits here?"

"Huh?" Morooka's gaze focused on the short-haired girl. "Yeah, sure. Ya hear that? Your seat's over there. So hurry up and siddown already!"

"_With pleasure…"_ Yu made her way over to the empty seat next to the short-haired girl. The short-haired girl wore a green, high-collared athletic jacket with her uniform. She and the girl in red sitting in front of her definitely stuck out in the class room, Yu noted. Moments after sitting down, the short-haired girl whispered to her. "He's the worst, huh?"

"You can say that again…" Yu muttered.

"Rotten luck for you to get stuck in this class… Well, we just have to hang in there for a year."

Yu narrowed her eyes as she heard the people around her talking about her.

"Sucks to be the transfer student, ending up in King Moron's class on the first morning here…"

"Yeah, he won't think twice about suspending you if you get on his bad side. Then again, we're all in the same boat…"

"Shut yer traps!" Morooka barked. "I'm taking roll, and I damn well expect you to respond in an orderly manner!"

How she had made it through the day, Yu couldn't figure it out. At this rate, she'd be treading the school delinquency path if she didn't get used to this.

"_I need to find a hobby…"_ Yu thought as she lazily spun her mechanical pencil between her fingers.

"That's all for today. Normal lectures will start tomorrow." With that said, Morooka made his way toward the door.

"_Freedom at last…"_ Yu immediately reached for her bag.

A soft trill of notes filled the room as the intercom burst into life. _**"Attention, all teachers. Please report immediately to the Faculty Office for a brief staff meeting. All students must return to their classrooms and are not to leave the school until further notice."**_

Morooka turned to his students. "You heard the announcement. Don't go anywhere until you hear otherwise."

Every student in the room watched Morooka as he made his way through the door. Once he was out of earshot, a brown-haired girl spoke.

"He's seriously getting on my nerves…" she told the short, black-haired girl in front of her.

Yu happened to be sitting right by them, so she overheard. _"Tch, you and me, girl…you and me…"_

Several students ran towards the window as the loud, unmistakable sound of sirens could be heard. Yu turned toward the window curiously, unable to help herself. She scowled as the thick fog prevented anyone from seeing what was going on outside. The sirens grew louder with each passing second, eventually reaching a pitch that implied the police had just driven right past the school.

Yu sighed and turned her attention back to her desk. She quickly threw everything on it, into her bag. The minute she heard she could leave, she was out of there…unless—

"_No, Narukami…we are not taking that path."_ Yu immediately discarded all thoughts of sneaking out of school… _"Not with the police nearby."_

"H-Hey, Yukiko-san…Mind if I ask you something?"

Yu turned her attention to the black-haired girl sitting in the row just in front of her. She had long, straight black hair and wore a red hairband that matched the red sweater that she wore with her uniform. She was beautiful, almost like a doll.

"Is it true that announcer's staying at your family's inn?" a male student asked her.

The black-haired girl shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "I can't discuss such things."

"Y-Yeah, I guess not…" the male student said nervously before running back toward the window.

Moments after he left, the short-haired girl walked up to the black-haired girl. "Sheesh, how much longer is this gonna take?"

"There's no telling," the black-haired girl replied.

"I shoulda left before the announcement came on…" the short-haired girl lamented. "By the way, didja try what I told you the other day?"

The black-haired girl looked questioningly at her short-haired companion.

"You know… That thing about rainy nights…"

"Oh… No, not yet. Sorry…"

"Ahhh, that's okay. It's just, I heard a guy in the class next door yell something like, 'My soulmate us Yamano, the announcer!'"

"_**Attention, all students. There has been an incident inside the school district. Police officers have been dispatched around the School Zone. Please stay calm and contact your parents or guardians as soon as possible, and quickly leave the school grounds. Do**__**not**__**disturb the officers. Head directly home. I repeat…"**_

The intercom's repeated message was quickly drowned out as the students began talking in an uproar.

"Incident?"

"What, something actually happened?"

"C'mon, let's go take a look!"

Yu didn't know how to feel about this. _"Not even the first day and already, something happens…"_

"Hey, are you going home by yourself?" the short-haired girl and her companion stood in front of Yu. "Why don't you come with us?"

Yu stared at the two girls. "Uh…"

"Oh, nearly forgot!" the short-haired girl smiled. "I'm Chie Satonaka. You know I sit next to you, right?"

"Of course," Yu replied.

"Well, nice to meet you!" Chie turned to the girl next to her. "This is Yukiko Amagi."

"Oh, nice to meet you…" Yukiko seemed nervous. "I'm sorry that this is so sudden…"

Chie pouted, waving her hand in protest. "C'mon, don't apologize like that. It makes me look like I got no upbringing. I just wanted to ask some stuff. Really, that's all."

"_These two…"_ Yu stared at Chie and Yukiko, smiling afterwards as she stood up. "Ask away, Satonaka."

"Wow, you're shorter than you looked up there," Chie remarked as she looked over Yu. "You're even shorter than Yukiko."

Yu turned to Yukiko and realized that Chie was right. "Y-You're right…but at least I'm taller than you."

Chie made a face. "Hey, what's that supposed to mean?"

"Uh, umm…Satonaka-san?" a timid voice asked.

Chie turned her attention away from Yu and toward the mahogany-haired, brown-eyed male student who stood a few feet away from her. He had short, unkempt hair and had a pair of orange headphones around his neck…and he seemed rather nervous as he held a DVD case in his hands.

"This was really awesome," he said. "Like, the way they moved was just amazing to see…And…"

Chie was confused. "Hmm?"

The male student held out the case as he bowed. "I'm really sorry! It was an accident! Please just have mercy until my next paycheck!"

Chie took the case from the student. Almost immediately, he stood up straight and left after a quick, "See ya! Thanks!"

Chie was quick to react. "Stop right there! What did you do to my DVD?!"

"Argh!" Chie quickly grabbed the male by the back of his collar.

Yu winced and looked away as Chie's leg jerked upward, connecting with the male and causing him to yelp loudly in pain. _"I'm not even a guy and __**I**__ felt that…is that normal?"_

The young man stumbled backward, whimpering as he jumped from one foot to the other, clutching his groin. Rushing over, Yukiko and Yu stopped just short of Chie, who was staring at the contents of the DVD box with a mix of shock and horror.

"What the?!" she exclaimed. "I can't believe this! It's completely cracked… My 'Trial of the Dragon'…!"

"I think mine's cracked too…" the male student choked out. "C-Critical hit to the nads…"

Yu bit her lip, holding back the laughter that had bubbled up in her throat. She felt bad for him, but the way he said it…she couldn't help but find this situation funny. The least she was able to do for her classmate was not laugh.

"A-Are you all right?" Yukiko looked concerned for her friend's actions.

"Oh, Yukiko-san…" the young man looked up, a pained smile tugging at his lips. "Are you worried about me…?"

Chie growled as she noticed glint of joy in the young man's brown eyes. "He's fine, Yukiko. Let's ditch him and go home."

Chie placed her DVD case into her backpack and made her way through the open door. Yukiko quietly followed after her friend, leaving Yu with the pained student. He looked like he was in a lot of pain, but there was nothing Yu could do about it…again. Sighing, Yu left the boy and followed after Chie and Yukiko.

…

…

Yu walked out of the school building with Yukiko and Chie. The three were immersed in a simple conversation. It first went from something school-related before changing over to Yu.

"I move around a lot because of my parents' job," Yu explained. "I've been to a lot of schools because of it…"

Chie nodded her head. "Ah…so you came here because of your parents' job. Haha, I thought it was something way more serious."

"Like a bad deal with a gang or something?" Yukiko offered.

Yu laughed nervously. "What do you mean?"

"Nothing like that," Chie replied. "Sheesh, you got a strange imagination Yukiko…what have you been watching?"

Yukiko laughed. "Oh, just a simple drama…"

"We need to find you a hobby…" Chie sighed as she ran her hand through her hair. "Anyways, your situation reminds me a lot of Hanamura."

Yu arched her brow at Chie. "Hanamura?"

Chie crossed her arms. "Yosuke Hanamura, the guy I kicked in the nads?"

"Oh, him…you know, you didn't have to do that to him…" Yu felt rather sorry for the guy… "I mean, I don't think he's having children anytime soon."

"He's right, Chie," Yukiko remarked.

"_That's right…everyone thinks I'm male…"_ Yu had almost forgotten, having been caught up in the conversation with Chie and Yukiko. _"I wonder if anyone has noticed…tch, doubt it."_

Yu could care less about her situation, now. She made friends for once and she was all right with that.

"Can we change the subject?" Chie asked. "Please?"

…

"So…tell me more about this town?" Yu wanted to know more about Inaba.

"Well, there's really nothing here," Chie began. "That's what makes it nice, but there is nothing much we can show to people from outside. Though, there is something from Mt. Yasogami… I think our dyed clothes or pottery or something is kinda famous—Oh wait! There's the Amagi Inn!"

Yu noticed that Yukiko shifted uncomfortable at the mention of the "Amagi Inn".

"Yukiko's family runs it…" That explained Yukiko's reaction, but only slightly. "It's the pride of Inaba!"

Yukiko looked nervous. "It's…just an old inn."

"No way, it's been in all sortsa magazines as a hidden treasure." Chie turned to Yu. "It's a great inn! It's been going for generations, and Yukiko here is going to take over someday. Their inn actually attracts a lot of visitors to Inaba. It pretty much keeps this town going."

Yukiko frowned. "I don't think that's entirely true."

Chie looked at Yukiko and smiled. "So, tell me… You think Yukiko's cute, huh?"

Yu looked at Yukiko and nodded. "I think so, yeah." Beautiful was a more fitting word for Yukiko, though, but Yu didn't say anything.

Chie laughed. "I knew it!

"Come on…don't start this again…" Yukiko seemed bothered by this.

Chie waved off Yukiko's response. "She's really popular at school, but she's never had a boyfriend. Kinda weird, huh?"

Yu had a feeling Chie was the reason for that. Almost immediately, Yukiko's face burned red.

"C-Come on, stop it…" Yukiko was really embarrassed. "Y-You shouldn't believe that, okay? It's not true that I'm popular or that I've never had a boyfriend—Wait, n-no! What I meant to say was, I-I don't need a boyfriend! Geez…Chie!"

Chie laughed. "Hahaha! Sorry, I'm sorry…but this is our chance to talk to someone from the big city, and you barely said a word!"

Yukiko looked away from Chie, still rather red-faced. "Hmm…"

"Hey, what's that?" Chie could see something up ahead. She looked back at Yu and Yukiko, gesturing them to follow her before taking off toward a four-way intersection at the start of the housing district. Yukiko quickly followed after her friend, Yu doing the same seconds after.

"_What's going on?"_ was what Yu had going through her head.

…

…

"So that high schooler left school early, and as she came down this street…"

A gossiping housewife was conversing with a fellow housewife. A child stood a few feet away from them, trying to look past the policeman blocking the road.

"Wow. Who could imagine THAT hanging from an antenna?"

"I wanted to see it too."

"Uh, you got here too late… The police and the fire department took it down just a moment ago."

"What the hell am I listening to?" Yu was confused.

"I have no clue." Chie was the same as Yu.

Yukiko stayed quiet, trying to listen closely to what the housewives had to say.

"Well, I think it's terrifying. I can't believe a dead body showed up around here…"

That definitely caught the trio's full attention.

"A dead body?!" Chie repeated, looking rather shocked. "Did I—what?"

"Your hearing is fine, Satonaka, I heard her say it…" Though Yu really wished she had not…

Yukiko was speechless. She shook her head, her curiosity leading her to stare up at the antenna that the housewives had been looking at a few moments ago. Her face was completely blank, but her eyes would dart from the antenna to the surrounding area uneasily.

"Hey, what are you doing here?"

Yu was rather surprised to see Dojima here, but then remembered what Nanako had told her last night. A dead body had been mentioned and considering the roadblock ahead, an investigation was going on and of course, Dojima would be here because it was his job.

"_I wonder if I can get anything out of him…"_ Yu was willing to try, but right after she answered her uncle's question. "We were just passing by…"

Dojima nodded his head firmly. "Huh…I should have figured that'd happen. That damn principal. We told him not to let them through here…"

"You know this guy?" Chie finally spoke, looking between Dojima and Yu.

"I'm Detective Dojima, his uncle and guardian…" Dojima looked over Chie and Yukiko and then at Yu. He wasn't one to judge, but at this moment, the thought that his nephew might be a playboy popped up in his mind. It was a rather unsettling thought and he decided to keep it at that…a thought. "Well, how should I say this…I hope you get along with him."

And that thought just popped up again.

Dojima shook his head. "Anyways, you three really ought to stop wandering around and head straight home.

After seeing the three teenagers nod, Dojima turned, about ready to return to his post when a young man in a black suit ran by. The young man was covering his mouth and looked like he was about to—

The young man doubled over and emptied the contents of his stomach onto the grass. "Ngh…Uuuurrghhh…"

Yu stared at the young man, feeling rather sympathetic. _"Poor guy…"_

Dojima, on the other hand, had no sympathy to give to the vomiting young man. "Adachi! How long are you going to act like a rookie? You want to be sent back to the central office?!"

Adachi turned, wiping his mouth as he looked up at Dojima. "I-I'm sorry…Nngh…"

Dojima sighed and shook his head. "Go wash your face. We're gonna go around and gather information!"

Yu stared at her uncle as he walked away, Adachi following moments after. She had seen a different side of him today, and yesterday…she had a feeling the side she saw first was reserved for home and Nanako. _"Remind me not to piss him off…"_

"Was this what that announcement was about…?" Chie's question snapped Yu out of her thoughts.

"What did they mean…it was hanging from the antenna…?" Yukiko looked down in thought.

"Hey, Yukiko…?" Chie sounded uncomfortable. "Why don't we go to Junes some other time?"

Yukiko looked at Chie and nodded. "Good idea…"

Chie turned to Yu. "Alright then, we're taking off. Starting tomorrow, neighbor, let's do our best!"

Yu nodded and with that, Chie and Yukiko left. Sighing, Yu looked at the crime scene and decided to leave.

…

…

Yu arrived home, tired from the long walk and the first day of school (and King Moron's yelling). She waved slightly to Nanako, who smiled as she greeted her and turned back to the television. Yu sat down across her cousin, not wanting to leave her alone.

"_Not after that…"_ Yu thought as she watched the news.

"I wonder if Dad's not coming home again tonight…" Nanako looked down.

"_**Our top story this evening concerns a bizarre case in a quiet suburb. Around noon today, a woman was found dead near the Samegawa River in Inaba."**_

Yu's eyes widened as she saw the School Zone shown on the television. _"Could this be about that incident today…?"_

"_**The deceased has been identified as Ms. Mayumi Yamano, a 27-year-old at the local Television Station. The initial results of the Inaba Police Department's Investigation have revealed…"**_

Nanako gasped. "Ah! The Inaba Police Department! Th-That's where Dad works!"

"It'll be all right," Yu reassured. "He was fine when I saw him…"

Nanako looked at Yu and nodded. "I know. That's his job, so this stuff happens."

"_**The body was found hanging from a large television antenna atop a local resident's roof. Authorities are uncertain as to why the body was in such a state. With the cause of death also uncertain, police continue to investigate whether the death is an accident or a homicide."**_

"_How the hell is that an accident?"_ Yu was baffled. _"She didn't fall out of a plane…"_

"_**A thick fog common to the area has slowed their progress, and plans to fully canvass the area are delayed until tomorrow."**_

…

"They found her on the roof?" Nanako bit her lip, her body trembling. "That's scary…"

Yu frowned. _"That had been some rather morbid news…did it have to be so descriptive?"_

"Oh, it's Junes!" Nanako looked at the television ecstatically.

"_Wow, one-eighty on that…"_ Yu thought as she looked at her cousin.

"_**At Junes, everyday is Customer Appreciation Day. Comes see for yourself, and get in touch with our products! Every day's great at your Junes!"**_

"Every day's great at your Junes!" Nanako sang enthusiastically. Yu found her cousin looking at her expectantly moments after.

Yu thought for a moment and smiled. "Every day's great at your Junes!"

Nanako smiled widely. "You memorized it already? I'm the best one in my class!"

Yu watched as Nanako sang the song once more. _"She's so cute…"_

By now, it seemed that Nanako had forgotten about today's morbid news, which was good—actually.

"Uh, Nanako, can I sleep with you tonight?" While Nanako had forgotten about the news, Yu hadn't and she already had her close encounter at the location where the body was found. That was nightmare material and after last night's nightmare…yeah.

Thankfully, Nanako sensed her discomfort. "Sure…You want me to get the futon ready?"

Yu shook her head. "That's okay…I'll do that myself after I get changed…"

…

…

* * *

_Tuesday, April 12__th__, 2011_

_First day of school and already, I've made my impression on the homeroom teacher…and in a very bad way. Usually, it takes longer for me to earn a teacher's animosity, but King Moron broke a record. That's definitely a first. Though, to be fair, he is an asshole…and I could very well tell my classmates agree with me on that._

_Aside from that, there's been a murder—or an accident, whatever it was. How the hell can that be an accident? I demand an answer because how am I to believe she fell out of a plane? That's about the only appropriate reason why Mayumi Yamano would be found hanging from a television antenna…_

_Wow, that's rather morbid…I'm glad I'm sleeping with Nanako tonight. Okay, subject change…_

_Chie Satonaka and Yukiko Amagi…both are girls around my age and first friends I've made since arriving here in Inaba. Funny, they're the first girls who aren't wary of me for once. It's nice…_

_I feel sorry for Yosuke Hanamura, the guy whose groin seemed to be a magnet for pain… I've seen the guy a few times and yet, we still haven't met face to face. Maybe that will change tomorrow…who knows?_

…

_I still haven't met that girl yet, but I'll eventually see her again…hopefully. I want to know her name…maybe even be her friend. She looks like she needs a friend…_

_I should probably stay out of __Dojima's way, now. I mean, the last thing I need while living with an uncle who is detective working at the police department is being the suspect in a murder. It's a good thing he doesn't know of my reputation back at home._

_Nobody has noticed yet and frankly, I don't care anymore. I mean, everything's going well, aside from the murder…and at this rate, I wouldn't have it any other way. I have friends and someone who actually cares._

_Hey, Mom and Dad? You two could probably learn a few things from Dojima…but I digress._

…

…

…

* * *

A/N End of chapter. Holy crap, another chapter? Why yes, KD is spoiling her readers…because I was quite serious when I said I was determined to finish this story, you know. Anyways, I never did give a full description of my take on a female Yu Narukami.

For one thing, she's shorter than her male incarnate by seven inches, which makes her about the same height as the female protagonist in _Persona 3 Portable_… Oh, and as mentioned already, Yu is taller than Chie…by an inch, to be precise. She's also much more slender than male Yu Narukami, but apart from that, she's not much different.

When I genderbend characters, I try not to do anything drastic to their appearance. I usually just change their height and physique…or do nothing at all (I'm looking at you two, Link and Ben). It's basically like looking at a drawing of a character that has had their gender changed and saying, "I don't see much of a difference." (That's how it is for Jaden Yuki). So when you're trying to picture Yu, try to picture a short and slender Yu Narukami.

Another thing I didn't mention is Yu's personality. While he does have a set personality in the manga and anime, I rather go with the game's personality and develop it on its own. It only seems appropriate for this female Yu Narukami, since it's the personality I've developed for Yu while I was playing _Persona 4 Golden_, with my own twists on it. I'm pretty sure you're all wondering what reputation Yu made for herself back at home…all in good time, readers, all in good time.

Hopefully, you enjoyed this chapter. Review if you wish, I appreciate hearing from the readers, so long as it's not a flame. Constructive criticism is love because it can help.

Until next time, guys, KD out! XD


	3. Midnight Channel

Yu had slept well last night and when she woke up, the first thing she noticed was how clingy Nanako had been in her sleep. A small bead of sweat rolled down the side of Yu's face as she felt Nanako's face burrow into her chest.

"_Well, this is unexpected…"_ Yu thought to herself. _"How am I going to get her off me?"_

It wasn't that Yu didn't like being hugged, which was what Nanako was currently doing in her sleep. It was the fact that Nanako was unintentionally making contact with her chest. Yu wasn't wearing anything underneath her shirt…

…

…

The walk to school was mostly uneventful for Yu…at first. Yu was still somewhat flustered from what happened to her this morning. Feeling slightly insecure, Yu peered into her shirt and sighed in relief when she saw the white bandages wrapped around her chest. The bandages were her only means of binding her breasts, because when Yu left all of the clothes she owned back at home, she left _all_ of them, undergarments included.

"_At least boxers are comfy…"_ Yu thought as she continued walking.

A loud noise snapped Yu out of her thoughts. She blinked a few times and found herself staring at a student who had gotten stuck in a trashcan.

"H-Help me!" he cried out.

Yu sighed and lightly scratched her cheek. She could help the guy out and risk being late, or ignore him…

"_King Moron's wrath or him…"_ Yu was caught between a rock and a hard place.

…

…

The struggling young man's cries eventually won her over.

"_If I'm late, you owe me big time…"_ Yu thought as she walked over to the young man. She latched onto his legs and pulled as hard as she could. She quickly readjusted her hold, her arms now wrapped around his waist to prevent him from falling back into the trashcan. Seeing that he was no longer stuck, Yu released the young man and watched him land rear-first onto the ground.

"You're a life-saver!" he gasped, looking up at Yu with gratitude. "Thanks, umm…Narukami, right? The transfer student from yesterday…"

Yu nodded. "Yosuke Hanamura…right?"

"So you've heard of me…" Yosuke grinned widely at Yu. "Well, it's nice to meet ya!"

Yu extended her hand to Yosuke. "Are you okay?"

Yosuke blinked a few times and nodded his head as he took Yu's hand. "Oh, yeah, yeah, I'm fine."

Yu pulled Yosuke up, releasing his hand the second he was standing. She looked over him quickly and nodded. He seemed fine—why was he this close to her?

"Wow, you're rather short…" Yosuke remarked as he looked closely at Yu.

"Do you have any sense of personal space?" Yu narrowed her eyes at Yosuke.

"Oh, sorry…" Yosuke laughed awkwardly. "Say, did you hear about that incident from yesterday? They found that announcer lady hanging from an antenna!"

"Please don't remind me…" Yu didn't want any nightmares…

"You think it was some kinda warning?" Yosuke asked as he picked up his bicycle.

Yu shrugged. "Who knows?"

"There's no way something that weird could've been an accident…" Yosuke said as he looked over his bicycle.

"My thoughts exactly…" Yu found Yosuke rather likeable.

Yosuke sighed. "Dangling a dead body over a roof like that… That's just messed up. Then again, it's pretty messed up to kill someone in the first place."

"Wait to state the obvious, Captain," Yu deadpanned. "Anything else you'd like to point out?"

Yosuke laughed. "You're alright, Narukami."

Yu smiled. "I can say the same for you, Hanamura—"

"Oh crap, we're late!" Yosuke looked at his bicycle and then at Yu. "You wanna ride? It's a little squeaky, but it should be fine."

Yu looked nervously at Yosuke. "Well…I guess I don't have a choice."

"Great, hop on…"

…

…

"You know, you're rather skinny—"

"Can you stop making comments about my body, Hanamura?"

"Oh, sorry, Narukami…"

…

…

Yosuke and Yu managed to reach Yasogami High on time before the gates were closed. Moments after Yosuke chained up his bicycle, he and Yu bolted into the building. By the time they reached their classroom, the two were exhausted. Luckily for them, Morooka still hadn't arrived.

"Just in time…" Yosuke panted as he and Yu sat down at their respective desks.

"All right, you idiots, quiet down!" a loud and angry voice yelled out.

Yu narrowed her eyes. "…for hell…"

The delinquency path was looking rather nice right now…

"You guys ARE in high school, aren't you?!" Morooka practically screeched. "Can't you shut up during class? Don't you have any common sense?"

A small bead of sweat rolled down the side of Yu's face. _"Class just started, you moron…"_

"First of all, my job is to waste precious time teaching you assholes philosophy! And since I'm so nice…"

"_Bullshit…"_ Yu bit her lip.

"I'll straighten up your rotten attitudes while I'm at it! Aren't you honored?!" Morooka looked at his class. "And I'll be going especially hard on any of you morons that're curious about the murder! Got it?! Now, get your books out!"

"_Way ahead of you, King Moron…"_ Yu thought as she started reading the text of the first page in her book. How she managed to learn anything from today's lesson, Yu couldn't figure it out, but she made a mental note to look things over twice today at home. _"Gotta love studying…yay…"_

And that was sarcasm…

…

Yu had just finished stuffing her things into her bag when she realized someone was at her desk. She looked up and saw that it was Yosuke.

"So…you getting used to this place?" he asked, crossing his arms afterwards.

Yu nodded. "Yeah…"

"Wow, that was fast." Yosuke chuckled. "There isn't much to do here compared to the big city, but there is that certain…something you can't get anywhere else."

"Fresh air?" Yu noticed that the second she got off that train. It was rather surprising.

"Yeah, the air's clean, the food's great…" Yosuke smiled. "Oh, you know about the local delicacy?"

Yu made a face. "There's a local delicacy?" When was that?

Yosuke laughed. "It's grilled steak, man! Like that's anything special, huh?"

"I rather like steak…" Yu frowned.

"I know a place where you can get it cheap. Wanna come? You helped me out this morning, so it's on me."

"What about me, huh? No apologies?" A certain jacket-wearing girl stared at Yosuke with both hands on her hips. "My 'Trial of the Dragon'?"

"Hey, Satonaka," Yu said, earning a small wave from Chie.

Yosuke sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Urgh… You always come around when I'm talking about food…"

Chie looked over her shoulder at Yukiko. "How about it, Yukiko? Don't you think he should treat us, too?"

Yukiko looked at Chie and shook her head. "I'll pass… I don't want to gain any more weight. I need to help out at the inn today, anyway."

"_Gain anymore weight?"_ Yu stared strangely at Yukiko, but said nothing.

"Wow, Yukiko-san!" Yosuke was impressed. "You started training to take over the business?"

Yukiko's eyes averted Yosuke. "It's not like that! I'm just helping out when it gets busy…Well, I should be on my way."

With that, Yukiko left. When she was completely out of earshot and view, Chie turned her attention back on Yosuke.

"Oh, well," she said with a smile. "We should get going too."

"Huh?" Yosuke frowned. "Do I seriously have to treat two people…?"

Yu looked at Chie and then back at Yosuke. "Pretty much."

Yosuke sighed and shook his head. "Let's get going…"

…

…

"Hey, what gives?! This isn't steak!"

Yu ignored Chie's outburst and focused on eating the takoyaki Yosuke got her. While she did like steak, takoyaki was something she couldn't pass up.

"I can't afford two steaks," Yosuke told Chie.

Chie pouted. "I can't believe it! And here I had my palate set for meat!"

Yosuke stared at Chie. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Exactly what it sounds like!" Chie said firmly.

"Well, once you hopped on the freeloader train, I had to change my plans," Yosuke explained. "Either take it or leave it."

Chie looked at her takoyaki and, though reluctantly, started eating. "You didn't have to bring us to your place, though…"

"Dude, this isn't my place or anything," Yosuke said before popping a takoyaki ball into his mouth.

Yu stared questioningly at Yu. "Your…place?"

Yosuke noticed Yu's questioning look and swallowed. "Oh, right…I haven't told you yet, huh? I moved here from another city about six months back."

"_That explains a lot…"_ Yu thought as she popped a takoyaki ball into her mouth.

"This location just opened up, and my dad was assigned to manage it," Yosuke explained. "So our entire family came out here…what about you?"

"My parents went overseas and left me behind with my uncle," Yu replied after swallowing. "This isn't the first time I transferred schools. I've moved around a lot because of my parents' job…"

Yosuke looked wide-eyed at Yu. "Wow…that must be tough…"

"You get used to it…" Yu sighed. "Compared to me, you're lucky…I envy you."

Yosuke laughed awkwardly and grabbed his soda. "Well, this is your welcome to town."

"Thank you," Yu replied, smiling.

…

…

"It's only been half a year since this place opened up, but I haven't been to the local shopping district much since," Chie remarked. "A lot of stores there started closing and…oh, uh…"

"You can't blame it all on Junes, can you?" Yosuke asked, sighing afterward. The sound of a chair's legs scraping against the ground caught his attention. He turned and his expression brightened. "Hey…It's Saki-senpai!" Yosuke stood up. "Sorry, be right back."

"Is that Hanamura's girlfriend?" Yu asked Chie as she watched Yosuke walk over to a young woman.

She was older than the three of them by at least a year and by the manner she sat in her chair, she was rather exhausted. She had long, wavy light-brown hair and gray eyes. She wore a long-sleeved white shirt, faded navy jeans, and a Junes employee apron.

Chie laughed. "He wishes!"

"So…who is she?" Yu asked Chie.

"That's Saki Konishi," Chie replied. "Her family runs the liquor store in the shopping district. I think she's working here part-time, though."

Yu nodded her head as she watched Yosuke talk to Saki. She could see the eagerness in Yosuke's body language as he talked to Saki. _"He really does like her…"_

…

"Hey, how's it going?" Yosuke asked. "You look beat…"

Saki looked at Yosuke and smiled weakly. "Heeey! I'm finally on break…What's up, Hana-chan?" Saki looked away from Yosuke and at Chie and Yu. "Boosting the family business by bringing your friends here?"

"Madam, you wound me!" Yosuke feigned hurt, earning a small laugh from Saki. "Kidding aside… You look down. Did something happen?"

Saki sighed and shook her head. "Oh, it's nothing. I'm just a little tired."

"Hey, if you need to talk, I'm always willing to listen. I…"

Saki chuckled. "I'm okay. Thanks, though…ugh, why'd I leave school early yesterday…?"

Yosuke looked questioningly at Saki. _"What does she mean by that?"_

"Hey…is he the kid who transferred here?" Saki stood up and walked over to Chie and Yu. Yosuke followed after Saki and came upon her asking, "Are you the transfer student?"

Yu nodded. "That's me, Konishi."

"Oh, did you hear about me already?" Saki smiled and looked over her shoulder at Yosuke. "It must be nice to have someone else from the big city to talk to, huh? I don't see Hana-chan hanging out with the other guys much…"

"Uh—not necessarily…" Yosuke said nervously.

Saki turned to Yu. "He doesn't have too many friends, so I hope you two get along good. Hana-chan's a good guy, but he can get nosy sometimes. You gotta tell him right to his face when he starts to annoy you."

Yosuke looked slightly hurt, but said nothing. He crossed his arms, trying to act as if he wasn't bothered by Saki's comment.

"I'm not so sure about that." Yu smiled. "He's a great guy."

Yosuke's face flushed. He had not been expecting that response from the transfer student. It was rather embarrassing. _"I just met the guy…"_

"Ahaha, I know…I'm just kidding."

Yu felt that Saki meant otherwise, but decided that she was probably just tired. _"She looks rather pale…"_

"C-C'mon, Senpai," Yosuke stuttered. "There's no need to worry about something like that."

"Well, my break's just about over. Back to work I go….Laters!" With that, Saki walked away.

"Uh, Senpai…!" Yosuke trailed off and sighed. He plopped back into his seat and crossed his arms. "Hahah…Saki-senpai says I'm annoying, but she's even nosier than me. She has a younger brother, and she treats me pretty much the same way…"

"Ohhh, you don't want her treating you like a brother, huh?" Chie grinned widely. "Haha, I get it… So _that's_ how it is…"

Yosuke shifted uncomfortable as he noticed the mischievous gleam in Chie's eyes.

"The daughter of a local family-run liquor store and the scion of the invading chain…" Chie said, almost dramatically. "Hoho, the _flame_ of forbidden _**love**_!"

Yosuke's face burned red. "Wha—?! Dude, it's not like that!"

"Oh, reaaaally…" Chie said, obviously not convinced. "Well, I know just the thing to cheer up that lovesick heart… You ever hear of the Midnight Channel?"

Yu arched her brow. "I haven't…"

Chie looked at Yu. "Oh, right, you just got here…Well, you're supposed to look into a TV that's switched off, alone, exactly at midnight on a rainy night. While you're staring at your own image, another person will appear on the screen…And they say that person's your soulmate."

"And you lost me," Yu remarked.

"For a second, I thought you were actually going to say something useful…" Yosuke shook his head. "How can you get all excited over such a childish urban legend like that?"

Chie scowled. "Childish, huh? You don't believe it, do you?!"

"Of course I don't!" Yosuke snapped. "Why would I?"

"Well, it's raining tonight!" Chie brought up. "Let's all try it out—then you'll see!"

"Try it out…?" Yosuke arched his brow. "Wait, you haven't even tried it yourself?! Wow, I'm trying to remember the last time I heard something this stupid…"

Chie growled at Yosuke. "Grr…."

"All that aside…you know that 'incident' yesterday?" Yosuke asked. "You guys think it was murder?"

Yu made a face. "What else could it be?"

"Ooh, what if the culprit behind it was still lurking around…?" Yosuke said ominously, laughing afterwards when he saw Chie squirming in her seat.

"Sheesh, you shouldn't joke about stuff like that," Chie said, somewhat nervously. "Now who's the childish one…?"

"_At this rate, I'm gonna end up sleeping with Nanako again…" _Yu thought as she unconsciously scratched her chest lightly.

"All I am saying is, you guys better try it out tonight," Chie said firmly. There was a hidden "or else" tone in her voice…one that both Yu and Yosuke caught.

Yu sighed. "Fine, I'll try it out tonight, Satonaka…I need to finish unpacking anyways, so I'll be up late tonight."

Because of yesterday's incident and the morbid description in the news, Yu put off unpacking for the next day. She didn't want to leave Nanako alone or _be_ alone, herself.

"Thanks, Narukami…what about _you_, Hanamura?" Chie glared at Yosuke.

"All right, just stop giving me that look!" Yosuke snapped.

Chie grinned victoriously. "All right! Let's talk about this tomorrow, then! By the way, nice origami crane!"

"You want it?" Yu held out the origami crane she had just finished making…out of a paper napkin. _"I think this could count as a hobby…?"_ It killed time and it got her through most of Chie and Yosuke's conversation. _"I can't complain…"_

…

…

Yu found herself having yet another lonely dinner with Nanako, Dojima nowhere in sight.

"_Okay, that's three times in a row that we've had take-out…"_ Yu thought as she helped herself to a steamed vegetable. _"I am not letting that number turn into four."_

Yu ignored the fact that it was her idea to get dinner from Junes while she was there with Yosuke and Chie.

"Did your father call?" Yu asked.

Nanako frowned. "No… He always says he will…"

At that moment, the front door opened. Nanako immediately perked up and smiled.

"Oh, he's home!"

It almost hurt Yu to hear just how happy Nanako was. _"Is she always home alone?"_

"What a day…" Dojima said as he walked over to the sofa. He looked and sounded exhausted.

"Long day?" Yu asked in hope of striking up a conversation.

"You wouldn't believe it…" Dojima replied as he plopped down onto the sofa.

Yu tilted her head to the side. "Try me…"

Dojima laughed weakly. "Did anything happen while I was out?"

Nanako was quick to answer that. "No. You're late again…"

"And this is the third time I've eaten take-out with Nanako," Yu added, holding up a Junes bag. "I don't think this is healthy…"

"I'm sorry, been busy at work…" Dojima rubbed his forehead. "Can you put the news on for me, Nanako?"

Nanako picked up the remote and turned on the television.

"_**Next, more details in the developing story on the incident in foggy Inaba. Announcer Mayumi Yamano's dead body was found hanging above a house in this isolated rural town. It is confirmed that Ms. Yamano had been involved in an affair with Taro Namatame, husband of enka singer Misuzu Hiiragi."**_

Yu made a face. _"Really? This again…?"_

At least with Dojima here, Yu actually felt safe.

"_**The police plan to investigate this relationship and question any personnel involved with them. In addition, we now bring you an exclusive interview with the local student who found Ms. Yamano's body."**_

Dojima sighed. "An interview with the kid…? Where the hell did they find her?"

"_**What went through your mind when you saw it? Could you tell she was dead? Did you see her face?"**_

"_**U-Umm…"**_ a distorted voice replied.

Yu stared wide-eyed at the television screen. She recognized the girl on the screen, even though her eyes were blurred out and her voice distorted. _"It's Saki Konishi…"_

"_**Don't you think it's scary that someone was killed on a foggy day?"**_

"_**Huh…? She was killed?"**_

"_**Oh, errr…So did you see anyone suspicious around here?"**_

"_**No, not really…"**_

"_**We heard that you found it when you left school early. Did you have some personal business to take care of?"**_

"_**Huh? That's…"**_

Yu narrowed her eyes at the reporter. His enthusiasm was perplexing Saki to no end. The interview ended not long after.

"—_**a tragedy that occurred near the local shopping district. Many storeowners are raising concerns about losing customers as a result…"**_

Dojima glared at the television screen. "Hmph. If they lose more customers, it'll be because you're making such a stink about it…"

Yu nodded in agreement. _"They need to fire that reporter…"_

"_**It really is a bizarre care, isn't it? I mean, hanging someone upside down from an antenna…I'd have to say it a warning or a sign from the culprit."**_

"_**Yes, but so far, no one has come forward to take credit for the crime."**_

Dojima yawned loudly. "Loads of prank calls, though…"

"_**So the cause of death is still unknown? And they don't have a single suspect yet? Taxpayers' funds are going to a police force who can't even figure out if this is an accident or a homicide?"**_

Yu stared at the television screen and shook her head. _"I'm done with the news…"_

"_**We'll be right back after these messages."**_

"_And I won't be here for that…"_ Yu thought as she finished her dinner.

"_**At Junes, every day is Customer Appreciation Day. Come see for yourself, and get in touch with our products! Every day's great at your Junes!"**_

Yu bit back a groan and turned back to her food, focusing very hard on blocking out the Junes jingle. _"That jingle is going to drive me mad by the end of this month…"_

"Every day's great at your Junes!" Nanako sang happily.

Yu sighed and shook her head. _"At least Nanako makes it acceptable…she's so adorable…"_

"Hey, Dad…can we go to Junes together sometime?" Nanako asked her father.

Silence…

"…No?" Nanako turned to Dojima. She frowned when she saw that Dojima had fallen asleep, his soft snores beginning to fill the room. "He's asleep. Geez…"

Yu stared at Nanako, beginning to see more and more of herself inside the little girl. It was rather saddening and at that moment, a thought popped up in Yu's mind. "Hey, Nanako…"

"Hmm?" Nanako looked at Yu.

"I'll take you to Junes sometime, if you want…" Yu offered, smiling afterward. This was her chance to make bonds and she wasn't passing that up anytime soon.

Nanako stared agape at Yu. "R-Really?!"

"Yeah, just tell me when and I'll take you."

The look on Nanako's face was priceless. It was official…there was no turning back for Yu.

"_I'll do anything for you if it means seeing you smile,"_ Yu thought as she reached over to ruffle Nanako's hair.

…

…

* * *

_Wednesday, April 13__th__, 2011_

_I've made another friend, Yosuke Hanamura. He's like me…he also came from the city. Though, unlike me, it seems the move was permanent. His father is the manager of Junes, the very place Nanako loves. I wonder if I should tell her about that…_

_For now, I've decided that folding origami cranes is a good enough hobby to keep me busy. I should probably start buying paper. Heh, maybe if I fold a thousand origami cranes, I could get my wish granted… In that case, challenge accepted. I wonder how much I can fold before the end of the year…maybe I'll reach a thousand, maybe I won't._

…

_The mystery is still on whether or not Mayumi Yamano's death was an accident or homicide. Again, I refuse to believe she fell out of a plane. Though, that aside, it seems Saki Konishi, Hanamura's senpai, was the one to find the body. That's rough…_

_That probably explains why she was like that today. She's probably recovering from the shock of finding a dead body. Though, there's still something about her that bothers me. It's the way she treats Hanamura… Is she really teasing him? The way she acts, it's almost as if she's forcing herself to smile at him. Maybe she was just tired…_

…

…

_Yukiko worries me a bit…she doesn't want to gain anymore weight, yet she's rather thin. If anything, she needs to eat more. Of course, it's none of my business. I just hope she's not anorexic…_

…

_Nanako is reminding me more of myself…how I used to be, growing up. Though, she's lucky…she doesn't have to move around and…she has me, now. As long as I'm around, Nanako won't be lonely. I'll make sure of that. I'll do anything to keep her smiling and happy…_

_I'm done unpacking and there are still a few minutes before midnight. I should probably check out the Midnight Channel, see if it exists or not._

"_Your soulmate appears if you look into a TV on a rainy night"…_

_Where Satonaka heard of the rumor, I don't know._

…

…

* * *

Yu slid her journal under the sofa. She then stood up and stretched her body. It was almost midnight and she was exhausted. She could hear it raining outside and it didn't help in keeping her awake.

"_Let's just get this over with."_ Yu looked at her clock. _"Just a few more seconds until midnight…"_

She turned off the lights and walked over to her television. Despite the lack of lighting, she could still make out her own reflection in the screen. It did help that the streetlight across the street was working properly. Though, apart from her reflection, the screen was still blank.

"_It's midnight and yet, there's nothing…"_ Yu yawned and turned her back to the television. _"Of course, it was just a rumor…"_

Yu's breath hitched and her eyes widened. Her body tensed, freezing up completely as she stared at the reflection of a lit television screen on her window.

"_What the hell?"_ she thought, her heart beginning to race.

Turning slowly, she stared in shock at the static that danced across the screen. A blurred image of a girl flickered into focus before flickering out, the process repeating itself several times. The girl seemed to be…almost in pain.

A bright light flashed and a loud crack followed shortly after. Yu's gaze was completely glued onto the television screen in shock.

"_Is this a joke?"_ she thought, taking a half-step back. "What…is going on…?"

"**I am thou…"** a voice echoed in her mind.

Almost immediately, Yu's head began to throb painfully. Her hand went to her forehead as she stumbled backward, the pain nearly disorienting her.

"**And thou art I…"**

"_Who…who are you?"_ Yu was stumbling, her eyes shut as she tried to push the voice away. It felt like her head was being split in half, the searing agony spreading throughout her entire body.

"**Thou art the one who opens the door…"**

BANG!

Yu fell to her knees as a final wave of pain washed over her. She didn't move, choosing to remained doubled over, eyes shut, as she tried to regain her senses. The pain had faded almost instantly, leaving her slightly disoriented and confused. Her heart was beating frantically and her breathing was ragged. After a few moments, she looked up at her television.

The screen was blank, but she still wasn't sure. Hesitantly, Yu stood up and slowly walked over to her television. Slowly, she reached out and tapped the screen with her index finger. The screen erupted into ripples of light, almost as if she had tapped the surface of a bowl of still water. The television screen was now emitting a dull, blue light that filled the once dark room.

Yu stared wide-eyed at the screen for a few seconds before reaching out to touch the screen. Instead of coming in contact with glass, Yu's hand went through the screen, almost as if it was water. Suddenly, Yu yelped as she felt something pull her arm forcefully. She tried to resist, but to no avail as she fell forward.

"Aaagh!" Had it not been for her left shoulder catching the edge of the television frame and the angle she had fallen forward, Yu would have fallen into the television completely. Luckily, for her, that had not been the case. Her left arm flailed to the side as she tried to find a sturdy leverage to push herself out of the television.

Finding the top of the television, Yu grabbed the edge and pushed as hard as she could. The result was immediate as she felt her body being thrown backward. Her head and arm popped out of the television, much to her relief.

THUD!

Stars danced across Yu's vision as she groaned, holding the back of her head. She cursed silently, gingerly rubbing the back of her skull where it had connected with table. Her eyes burned and watered as her head throbbed painfully.

"Are you okay?" Nanako's voice called out.

"I'm…okay…" Yu managed to say, even though her throbbing head and her pained tone said otherwise.

"I heard a really loud noise…did you hurt yourself?"

"Sort of…I hit my head hard…" Yu could already feel the bump forming behind her head. "Can I sleep with you again, Nanako?"

Nanako opened the door, her gaze falling upon Yu. "Did you have a bad dream?"

"…Yeah, I did…" If only it really was a bad dream…because, even then, it was still a dream. This was reality.

Nanako sighed and walked over to Yu. "C'mon, let's go."

Yu found herself being walked out of her own room by Nanako. Nanako's tiny hand held onto Yu's somewhat larger hand.

"So what happened in your dream?" Nanako asked curiously.

"My TV tried to eat me…" Never before in her life had Yu ever been so afraid of such a simple, electronic device. Yu was not sleeping in her room tonight…not with the television in her room!

Nanako squeezed Yu's hand reassuringly. "It's okay, I'm here. Let's go to bed…"

Yu sighed, feeling rather relieved. She was definitely going to tell the others about this… For now, she was just glad that Nanako was there for her.

…

…

* * *

A/N End of chapter. Oh, what is this? It's KD actually keeping her word! Yeah, and as you can see, stuff happened.

A bit of insight on Yu's clothing situation. Yes, she is wearing male undergarments, boxers to be precise. She was being serious when she said she bought clothing to suit her "apparent gender".

And as you can see, I gave Yu the origami crane hobby that Yu had in the anime. Thought it would be a nice touch and I remembered the thousand origami crane legend…oh, Sadako, thanks to your story, I've known about this since the fourth grade…ah, I still have the book. Moving on, I decided to expand upon that little trait Yu had in the anime. Let's see how much Yu can get done before the end of the year!

And this is if I don't forget about it, because KD has ADHD and tends to forget about stuff at times due to distractions. Anyways, as you can see, I'm already developing the relationship between Nanako and Yu. I adore Nanako and any little chance I get in-game to spend time with her, such as helping her care for the garden (Golden exclusive), I use it. Plus, I did NOT eat her pudding!

Fuck courage increase, I am not eating Nanako's pudding…though, I did forget to eat her science project. Speaking of which, just a heads up, I will be making Hiimdaisy Persona 4 comic references when I get the chance to. I'm pretty sure you've noticed Chapter 2's title ringing a bell. Try to catch them, because some of them will be ranging from blatant to subtle.

Oh, and the current running gag for Yu Narukami is the fact people keep pointing out the fact that she's shorter than she seems. Normally, this wouldn't be relevant since Yu is female, but since everyone thinks she's male, it actually makes sense. She's sixteen and a male her height would be considered to be somewhat under average height.

I've read _Lovely Complex_, so I've had experience with this trope more often with the two main characters being the main examples of it. Well, Yosuke has made his appearance and let me just say, he's one of my favorite social links and character.

I think that's enough for this A/N, but I will say this…how has the developing personality been for you guys? A big heads up, I've been thinking of more things to add to this story. Expect the originality/creativity brigade to punch this story, when, I don't know…

By the way, took a "what is your arcana?" and I got the Fool…be aware that you are looking at a Fool and before you go thinking I'm stupid, I'm not! (Even though it does seem like it at times…) You should already know that the Fool represents innocence, divine inspiration, madness, freedom, spontaneity, inexperience, chaos, and creativity. Try to see how many of those you can connect with KD! XD

Aside from that, review if you wish! I don't accept flames and constructive criticism is love! At least show you've read the story! Just be glad I don't put up review quotas…I hate those. I really don't get them… Well, that's it for this chapter! Hope you enjoyed it!

Till next time, readers, KD out! XD


	4. Enter: The Mysterious Bear

Yu yawned loudly as she made her way to school. It was still raining and she was still tired from the events that had occurred at midnight. She was also somewhat traumatized from the events as the entire time Yu had spent in her room this morning when she was changing into her uniform, she kept her distance away from the television.

"_I need to find the remote…"_ That way, Yu didn't have to touch the television or get near it. _"I can't believe I'm afraid of my own TV…"_

"Perfect timing!" someone exclaimed.

Yu stopped walking and turned to see Chie running towards her in the rain. Unlike Yu, Chie didn't have an umbrella.

"Sorry, move over!" Chie said apologetically as she forced herself under Yu's umbrella.

"What happened to your umbrella?" Yu asked.

Chie laughed awkwardly. "I did have my own, but I saw this kung fu movie where they used an umbrella to pull off some sweet moves…"

Yu sweat dropped. "Say no more, I think I know what happened."

"By the way…did you see it?!" Chie looked expectantly at Yu.

Yu blinked. "I did."

"Aha, do tell," Chie said with a wide smile. "But the person it showed…Never mind. I'll save it for when the others are around. We're gonna be late for school."

"Okay, let's go then."

…

…

"Oh, u-uhh…I-It's kinda awkward to only bring this up now, but…we're pretty close here…" Chie sweat dropped and stopped walking.

"And…?" Yu looked questioningly at Chie.

"U-Um, I'm gonna just go ahead and run the rest of the way!" Chie said in a fast-paced tone.

Yu frowned. "You'll catch a cold."

"Oh…R-Right. Good point!" Chie placed her hands on her hips. "If I catch a cold, it could spread…and that'd suck for everyone! Yeah, I think I'll keep going with you. Hahahahah…"

Chie inched closer to Yu under the umbrella. "Alright, let's go!"

"_Not gonna lie, that was pretty cute…"_ Yu thought as she and Chie continued walking.

…

…

"Hello, everyone."

Yu stared at the female teacher standing at the front of the class. The teacher looked young, probably in her early to mid twenties, and her eyes had a peculiar shape, most likely caused from the makeup she wore. She wore a nemes; the type of headdress Egyptian pharaohs wore. She also held a striped, rod with a crook in her right hand.

"_Where did she get those?"_ was all Yu could think.

"My name is Kimiko Sofue, and I don't know how much you know about world history, but I'm an expert." Sofue smiled and looked around. "First, a little about me. I love to use my dowser to look for lost items, and there's nothing quite like a romance. In fact, world history is a magnificent romance. History is like a river, it was born in the past and flows ever forward."

"_A teacher obsessed with world history…never thought I'd see the day." _Yu managed to keep herself from making a face. Though, she did once hear of a history teacher obsessed with the Sengoku era… _"Oh, crap, what if they're related…"_

"I hope we can all enjoy the profundity of history together. Hohoho." Sofue had a distinct laugh. "And since this is my first lecture, I'll start with an easy question. Our transferee, Narukami-san, please stand up."

Yu was quick to get out of her seat. She could feel the stares of the entire class on her, but she managed to keep her cool.

"The western calendar is based on Anno Domini, the traditionally believed year of Jesus Christ's birth. What is the year before 1 AD called?"

Yu thought for a moment before giving the answer she thought was correct. "1 BC."

Sofue smiled. "Ah, you seem to understand this well. If you think that history is like math, 0 AD would be the natural assumption, but world history is much more complicated."

"_I kinda figured over the years…"_ All that studying Yu had done finally paid off.

"The Gregorian calendar we use today is based on the Julian calendar, which was made while there was no concept of the zero as a number. That's why, when counting backwards, we go from 1 AD straight to 1 BC. Hopefully that was a nice introduction to world history…"

"_I feel smarter already…" _Yu thought as she sat back down in her seat.

…

…

Yu sighed as she put away her school items. As she did this, she overheard a couple of girls talking to each other.

"What's up with the body being hung upside-down? That's so freaky!"

"Is it supposed to be mimicking an execution? It's messed up…"

"My senpai told me it was a third-year named Saki who found the body."

"_Am I ever going to hear the end of this?"_ Yu had a feeling it wouldn't.

"Y-Yo. Umm…" Yosuke approached Yu, snapping her out of her thoughts. "It's, uh, it's not really that important, but…"

"Just spit it out already."

"Well, yesterday on TV, I…" Yosuke placed his hand on his forehead.

"Is it about Konishi-senpai?" Yu had a feeling that it was about Saki, considering how Yosuke cared for the third-year.

Yosuke diverted his eyes to the side.

Yu sighed. _"I'll take that as a yes…"_

"Hey, did you hear the rumor?" Chie asked as she walked over to the two. "Konishi-senpai's supposedly the one who discovered that body."

Yosuke frowned. "I wonder if that's why she looked so down…She doesn't seem to be at school today, either."

"Or she's just resting up from yesterday." Yu did notice how exhausted Saki seemed.

Yosuke nodded. "Yeah, that could be it…"

At that moment, Yukiko, who had been at her desk, stood up and grabbed her bag. Chie was quick to notice Yukiko and turned.

"Hey Yukiko, are you helping out at the inn today too?" Chie asked as she placed her hands on her hips.

Yukiko sighed. "Things are really out of hand right now…I'm sorry…"

Chie frowned. "Oh…say, if you need any help, just call me. I'm here for you, ya know."

"Thanks, Chie…" Yukiko said, smiling. "Bye."

With that, Yukiko left.

…

…

"Is it just me, or does Yukiko-san seem way stressed out today?" Yosuke asked.

Chie tilted her head to the side. "I guess they're running her ragged…By the way, did you see…_it_…last night?"

Yosuke blinked. "Huh…? Uh, well…what about you?"

"I did!" Chie exclaimed. "I seriously saw a girl! But…" Chie looked perplexed. "My soulmate's a girl? What's that supposed to mean—Hanamura, don't you _dare_ say anything!"

Yosuke backed away from Chie. "I'm not!"

"_Aw, crap, I forgot about the soulmate part…"_ Yu shook her head. _"Wait…she also saw a girl? Okay, that's…strange…"_

Chie had managed to calm down quickly. "Anyways, I couldn't quite tell who it was, but it was a girl for sure. Her hair was brown, about shoulder length."

Yu arched her brow. "Was she wearing our school uniform?"

"How did you know?" Chie looked questioningly at Yu.

"Hey, that sounds like the same person I saw," Yosuke said. "I couldn't make out that much detail, though. The image I saw was much blurrier…"

Chie turned to Yosuke. "You too? Wait, does that mean we have the same soulmate?"

Yosuke sweat dropped. "How should I know? Hey, Narukami, you saw it too, right?"

Yu looked at Chie and Yosuke._ "Maybe now's a good time to tell them…"_

…

…

Yu stared blankly at Chie and Yosuke as they sweat dropped. _"Why do I feel like that was pointless?"_

Yosuke cleared his throat. "It sounds like we all saw the same person…But weird voices aside, what was that about getting sucked into your TV…?"

"My TV tried to eat me…"

"Were you that tired last night?" Yosuke looked questioningly at Yu. "You must've just fallen asleep in front of your TV."

Chie nodded. "That'd be one interesting dream, though. I like the part where you got stuck 'cause your TV was too small. That's pretty realistic."

"Even though you're rather small, yourself…" Yosuke said as he looked over Yu.

"It's not funny…" Yu made a face.

Chie tilted her head to the side. "If it had been bigger—"

Yu stood up from her seat and slammed her hands on her desk. "Satonaka, don't you _dare_ say that!"

Chie was taken aback. "What?"

Yosuke stared wide-eyed at Yu. "Dude, calm down…people are staring…"

Yu blinked and looked around. Sure enough, Yosuke had been right. People were staring…

"Oh, uh…sorry…" Yu blushed and softened her tone. "I just don't want any nightmares…I've been having to room with my cousin for the past two nights because…can we change the subject?"

…

…

"_Great, third day and already, I've made a scene…"_ Yu sighed and shook her head. _"At least it wasn't the fourth day—that reminds me…"_

Unless Yu did something, today would be the fourth time she had take-out for dinner.

"_I am not letting that happen…"_ Yu would be damned if she let that happen. "Hey, Hanamura, does Junes have a grocery department?"

…

…

"Okay, not to be rude, but…why are we in the electronics department?" Yu's expression was blank. "And to be more specific, why the TV aisle…?"

"My family's been talking about buying a bigger TV," Chie replied she looked over the many flat-screen televisions lining the wall in front of her. "I mean, my parents don't know anything about electronics and I've gotta see my kung-fu movies on the big screen!"

Yosuke turned to Yu. "I'll take you to the grocery department afterwards."

Yu sighed. "Just…let's get this over with…"

"Holy crap, this is expensive!" Chie exclaimed as she examined one of the television's price tag. She looked over her shoulder at Yosuke. "Hey, Hanamura, could you use your connections to cut the price…?"

Yosuke smiled widely. "Of course not!"

Chie made a face and huffed. "At least looking's free…"

Yu sighed and crossed her arms. "Can we leave now? I have a six-year-old cousin probably waiting home alone for me to bring dinner."

Glancing at Yosuke, Chie smiled slyly and nodded toward the television. Yosuke laughed and stepped forward with her as they both pressed their hands to the screen of the television. Yu watched them silently, obviously not amused.

"_Smartasses…"_ Yu thought.

"…Nope, can't get in. Go figure." Yosuke said with a grin.

Chie laughed. "Maybe there's a switch or something…You know, like a menu setting or something?"

Yosuke crossed his arms. "Want me to go in back and get the remote?"

"You can both go to hell…" Yu muttered darkly as the pair laughed in amusement.

"Live a little!" Chie laughed as she waved off Yu's glare.

"Why don't you try having a TV try to eat you?" was what Yu wanted to say, but she didn't have enough courage. _"Just let it go, Narukami…remember what Satonaka is capable of doing…"_

Critical hit to the nads, indeed…

"_Wait, I don't have any…"_ Either way, Yu knew that it was going to hurt.

"Anyways, this proves it was just a dream," Chie remarked.

Yu only grunted in response.

"Besides, these flat-screen TVs are so thin, you'd just end up on the other side—Argh, what am I saying!?" Yosuke shook his head. "So, Satonaka…what kind of TV are you guys in the market for?"

"Well…" Chie shrugged. "They said they wanted one that's cheap. You got any suggestions?"

"Well, Miss," Yosuke began in his best business tone, leading Chie down the row of televisions. "Might I suggest this one over here? It's the newest model, just released this spring…"

"Huh…" Chie leaned forward and tapped the television screen once. "Doesn't look like you can get into this one either…"

"I said go to hell!" Yu snapped, earning another round of laughter from the two. _"Honestly, these two…"_

Despite her recent reaction, Yu was smiling. She was actually enjoying this, minus the fact that they were making fun of an event she considered almost traumatic. Sighing, Yu approached the television.

"_Maybe it was just a dream…"_ Yu thought as she stared at her reflection in the blank television screen. _"I mean, I did bump my head…I could have dozed off and fallen backwards…"_

It sounded plausible…

"There's no way this is cheap!" Chie exclaimed. "Look at all these zeroes!"

"I should've asked what you meant by 'cheap' right off the bat…" Yosuke sighed.

"C'mon, hook me up with your connections!" Chie insisted.

"I already told you I can't do that!" Yosuke shook his head. "How about this one over here? It's a display unit…it's a little old, but…"

…

Yu smiled as she stared at the television screen. _"I shouldn't be afraid of my own TV anymore…heck, I should be able to touch the screen…like this."_

Yu couldn't help but sigh in relief when her palm pressed against the smooth surface of the television screen. In actuality, she was still scared, but now…nothing seemed to be wrong—

"Augh!" Yu's eyes widened as she watched her hand sink into the television screen as if it was water.

"Hey, Narukami, what kind of TV do you—" Yosuke trailed off, his eyes widening as he stared at Yu in shock.

"Huh? Yosuke? Is something wrong?" Chie turned, gasping sharply.

"I-Is his arm…in the TV…?" Yosuke was baffled.

Yu turned to Chie and Yosuke. "I told you it wasn't a dream!"

"Uhh, is that some kinda…new model?" Chie took a step back and managed to bump into Yosuke's chest. She looked over her shoulder at him. "You know, like a new function or something?"

Yosuke blinked. "New function? Hell no!"

The two quickly ran over to Yu, with Yosuke standing to the left of Yu and Chie to the right. Upon closer inspection of the scene, Chie and Yosuke were much more on edge.

"You gotta be kidding me…Did you really stick your hand through the screen?"

Yu turned to Chie. "What do you think? Do you see my hand going through?"

Obviously, her hand was going _into_ the television.

"Oh man…this is for real…" Yosuke was at a loss for words. "That's some magic trick, man! So how's it work, huh?! What's the magician's secret?!"

Yu glanced at Yosuke, an amused smile tugging at her lips as she stared at the astonished look on Yosuke's face. By now, all fear that Yu had for this strange phenomenon had faded. Instead, she was feeling a bit vindictive.

"Well, you see, I pulled my hand into my sleeve so that just the sleeve is touching—what do you think?!"

Silence…

Yu turned her attention back to the television screen. _"I wonder if I could put in more than just my arm…"_

Curiosity got the better of Yu as she pulled her hand out and leaned forward, pushing her head and shoulders into the liquid-like screen.

"H-Hey, don't do that! What're you doing?!" Yosuke was growing more anxious by the second.

"Oh, my god!" Chie exclaimed.

Inside the television, Yu looked around; blinking as she realized how much empty space there was around her. The entire area was wide open, and covered in a thick, yellowish fog. She glanced downward, her blood running cold when she realized she couldn't see the ground below her.

"_Well, that's comforting…"_ Yu thought. "It's really empty inside here…and spacious, too."

"Wh-what the hell!?" Yosuke cried in disbelief. "What do you mean, 'inside'?! And…spacious!?"

"You heard me!" Yu replied.

"Have you lost your mind?!" Yosuke snapped. "You just stuck your head inside a TV and you're telling me it's SPACIOUS?!"

"Yes," Yu said simply. "Isn't it obvious?"

Yosuke was astonished with how calm Yu was. "Aren't you freaked out at ALL by this!? Dude, seriously, cut the crap and get out of there!"

"Narukami, just get out of here right now!" Chie practically shouted.

"H-holy crap…" Yosuke whimpered, wincing as he began jumping from foot to foot. "I-I think this is too much for my bladder…"

Yu made a face. "Aw, Hanamura, too much information!"

"What the—?" Chie backed away from Yosuke. "Are you gonna pee your pants?! Gross!"

"I've been holding it in all day!" Yosuke said quickly. "I-I haven't had a chance to go…"

"What do you mean you haven't had the chance to go?!" Yu exclaimed. "We passed a few restrooms along the way to the electronics department! Why the hell didn't you go then?!"

"Aaarrgh! Can't…hold it…anymore…!"

"Go inside the TV then, stupid! Obviously there's room for it."

"NO!" Yu and Yosuke cried out at the same time.

"My head's in here!" Yu did NOT want to see THAT…EVER.

"Then pull out!" Chie snapped. "Don't make me drag you out of there!"

Yu sighed and decided she had had enough fun messing with Chie and Yosuke. _"Time to end this…the hell?!"_

"Dude," Yosuke said in a warning tone. "You better do it…Satonaka's scary when she's angry."

"Guys…" Yu said anxiously.

"I'll show you scary!" Chie growled.

"I can't take this anymore!" Yosuke said as he ran away from Yu and Chie. Not even a few seconds after he left, Yosuke came back, looking more panicked than before. "Shit! Customers! They're coming!"

"Guys!" Yu was growing more desperate.

"But we've got a guy half stuck in the TV here!" Chie exclaimed. "What are we gonna do?!"

Yosuke and Chie ran around in a panic, not paying any attention to Yu, who was still halfway into the television, but not by choice anymore. What Yu had been trying to say was that she needed help getting out. She was actually stuck.

"Guys!" Yu was beginning to panic.

At that moment, both Chie and Yosuke ran into each other and as luck would have it, it was right behind Yu. Gravity took effect and the result…

"What the—?! W-Wai—WHOA!"

Yosuke's screams were soon joined by Yu's and Chie's screams as the three fell into the television and hurtled downwards into the yellow fog.

…

…

_Bam! Bam! Bam!_

The three teens landed painfully onto the ground after what seemed to be a few minutes of falling. Yosuke groaned and rubbed his backside, swearing under his breath.

"I landed right on my wallet…" Yosuke groaned.

"Agh, my coccyx…" Yu winced as she rubbed her backside. "I'm gonna be feeling that tomorrow…"

Chie picked herself off the ground. "Man, where the heck are we?"

Standing up, Yu offered a hand to Yosuke and tugged him onto his feet. Yosuke, in turn, bent down and gently pulled Chie to her feet.

"What is this place?" Chie asked as she looked around. "Some place inside Junes?"

"Hell no it isn't!" Yosuke replied. "I mean we fell through a TV—actually, uh…what _is_ going on here?"

"Don't look at me," Yu said, waving her arms. "I'm just about as confused as you two…by the way, I know this sounds out of place, but… I told you so!"

Yosuke frowned. "Okay, okay, we should have had more faith in you…happy now?"

"Not really…" Yu said as she looked away.

"So…uh…we're still alive…right?" Chie asked, almost uncertainly.

"Are you guys okay?" Yu was rather concerned for the two, especially now that she was beginning to understand them better.

"I think my butt's cracked now…" Yosuke said as he rubbed his backside.

A vein popped out on Chie's head. "Of course it is!"

"Look, can we avoid fighting for the next five minutes or so before I _make_ you guys stop?!" Yu snapped, her expression growing dark.

Chie and Yosuke immediately clamped up. The look in Yu's eyes was intimidating enough to silence them. After a few seconds, Yu blinked and laughed sheepishly.

"Sorry…" Yu sweat dropped. "Can we ignore that threat I just made…? I'm just as scared as you guys…"

…

…

After a few moments of silence, Yosuke looked up and exclaimed. "Whoa!"

Chie looked at Yosuke. "Wh-What now?! Did you wet your pants?!"

"No, stupid!" Yosuke snapped. "Look around!"

"Is this…a studio?" Chie asked.

"It seems like it…" Yu took note of the many bright lights surrounding the area. As bright as they were, she could barely see them through the thick, yellow fog. Though, it didn't really matter to her. She was just glad Chie and Yosuke were talking again. _"Let's try not to do that again, Narukami…"_

Chie looked around. "All this fog…or is it smoke? There's no place like this in Inaba, is there?"

"Hell no…" Yosuke said for what seemed to be the umpteenth time. "But man…this place is huge…"

Chie turned to Yu and Yosuke. "What're we gonna do…?"

"Well, we just got here, so we should at least take a look around…" Yu suggested.

Chie blinked. "Huh? B-But…Look, we need to get home and—! H-Huh…? Wait a minute…which way did we come in from?"

"Up," Yu and Yosuke said at the same time as they pointed upwards, almost as if it was obvious.

"Wh-what?!" Chie cried, narrowing her eyes as she looked up, trying to see through the fog. "B-but… How are we supposed to—?! T-That can't be the only entrance! Auuugh! I can't take this anymore! I wanna go home!" Chie was near close to tears at this point.

"Okay, let's just all calm down," Yu said firmly. "Panicking will get us nowhere…"

Yosuke nodded. "Y-You're right… Okay…okay… Let's calm down and think about this…All right, so we need to find a way out."

Yu nodded. "That's the plan."

"Is there really a way outta here…?" Chie frowned.

"We got in…so we must be able to get out somehow…" Yosuke said.

Chie tilted her head. "That's true, but…"

Yosuke sighed. "If there's no exit, we're trapped, so let's cross our fingers and look around."

The three of them nodded in agreement and started walking toward a random direction.

…

Some time had passed since then, how much, the three didn't know but it felt like hours. By now, Yu was aware that Chie was clinging onto her sleeve, but she said nothing of it because she knew just how scared the shorter girl was. The only reason Yu wasn't as scared as she would have been at the moment was because she had Chie and Yosuke.

"What's that?" Yosuke suddenly asked.

Ahead of the corridor the trio was in, was a peculiar vortex-like door of some sort. It was red and black, and it seemed to be swirling inside. The trio stopped walking almost immediately.

"What is this place…? It feels different from where we were before…" Chie shuddered.

Yosuke squinted. "It looks like we're in some kinda building, but…damn, this fog's so thick, I can hardly see."

"Are you sure we're not wandering farther away?" Chie asked anxiously.

Yosuke grimaced. "I can't be positive, but we've gotta trust our instinct a little."

Chie looked down. "I know, but…"

"There's no other choice, we have to keep going forward," Yu said with a sigh. With that said, she, Chie, and Yosuke kept moving forward until they made it through the strange vortex-like door. There was an immediate change in visibility after that. The fog was much thinner, allowing them to easily see the entire room they had entered.

They were standing in a large bedroom. There wasn't much furniture and none stuck out significantly. A bed sat in the far corner of the room, in front of a wall covered in floor-to-ceiling windows. The windows curtains were pulled back, allowing the soft yellow glow from the world outside to fade in. Above the bed was a large bookshelf, hanging from the wall filled with various trinkets and books. A dead plant stood by the bedside, and sitting several feet away from the bed was a chair.

"Hey, is it me or is the fog lighter here?" Yosuke asked as he took out his cell phone. "No service. What a surprise…"

"Can you guys slow down a little?" Chie asked as she walked over to the two. "It's hard enough to see where you're going…"

Yosuke and Yu turned to Chie, their eyes widening as she approached them. Chie looked questioningly at the two and turned around. Almost immediately, Chie took a step back in shock.

What the three hadn't seen earlier was the condition of the rest of the room. Posters lined up the walls, all of them of a woman in a kimono with her face slashed off. A red substance resembling blood stained the walls in a spine-chilling manner.

Needless to say, Yu was most definitely rooming with Nanako again.

"It's a dead end!" Chie exclaimed frantically. "There's no exit!"

"It keeps getting creepier and creepier the further we go…" Yosuke remarked, pausing for a moment before suddenly screaming.

"Aaah!" Chie was quick to latch onto Yu's arm, since Yu was close by, while said person stayed perfectly still. Though, despite her stoic demeanor, Yu was just as afraid as Chie. If Chie had been paying attention, she could see that Yu was trembling.

"I can't hold it any longer…" Yosuke said as he ran over to the corner of the room. "My bladder's gonna explode…!"

Chie blinked a few times and scowled. "Hanamura, you idiot—I thought something bad had happened…Narukami, are you all right?"

"My…heart…" Yu was amazed that she could still stand on her two feet…

"It's okay, Narukami, Hanamura was just being—what are you doing?!"

_Zip!_

"I gotta let it out before I piss my pants!" Yosuke exclaimed.

"You're going here?! Oh, you have got to be kidding…"

…

…

Yosuke made a face. "T-Turn around! I can't go if everyone's watching!"

"I can't feel my legs…" Yu said before collapsing onto her knees.

Chie gasped. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine…just give me a few seconds…"

"Aaaaagh…I can't do it!" Yosuke exclaimed. "It's all your fault if my bladder bursts!"

Chie glanced at Yosuke. "Like I care!"

_Zip!_

Upon hearing Yosuke zip up his pants, Yu found herself feeling rather awkward. With a little help from Chie, Yu was now standing again.

"Thank you, Satonaka…"

"No problem…anyways, what's with this room?" Chie's gaze fell upon the posters. "Check out these posters…their faces are all cut out… Someone must really hate this person…"

"Dude…"

Chie and Yu turned to Yosuke. He was standing by a chair, his attention focused on what was above it. It was a scarf tied into the shape of a noose.

"This chair and rope…" Yosuke continued. "That kind of arrangement is never good…It's tied in a noose…"

"Spooky…" Yu remarked.

"Is this a scarf?" Yosuke asked upon closer look at the noose.

Chie was beginning to panic. "C'mon…Let's go back to where we came from and look somewhere else for an exit…"

As the three made their way to the door, Yosuke stopped to take a closer look at one of the posters.

"I think I've seen that poster before…"

"Who CARES?! Let's go! I am sick of this place!" Chie sighed and placed her hand on her forehead. "Quite literally…I'm not feeling so good…"

Yosuke nodded. "Now that you mention it, me too…"

Yu started to notice how heavy her body was starting to feel. It was like how when she first arrived in Inaba…only, not as intense.

"_But still bad…"_ Yu clutched her head. "Agh…"

"Urk…Let's go back…" Yosuke looked pale. "I'm seriously starting to feel sick…"

"You better not throw up…"

"Shut up Satonaka."

"You two, don't start…my head's killing me…"

…

…

Chie smiled as she, Yu, and Yosuke made it back to the studio. "Whew, we finally made it back here…wait, what's that?"

Yosuke blinked and turned. "Huh…? Th-There's something over there!"

Across from them in the fog, there was a shape that was drawing near the trio. The shape made sounds as it walked closer to them, almost squeaking with each step. It finally stopped walking once it was in front of the trio. Though, due to the fog, Yu, Yosuke, and Chie could barely make out what it was.

"What is this thing?" Chie asked. "A monkey? A bear…?"

It looked like a stuff animal with blue fur wearing red and white jumpsuit-like clothing. Upon closer look, Yu could see that it was a bear…a rather strange bear to be exact.

Yosuke took a step back. "What in the world…?"

"Th-That's what I wanna know!" it said. "Who are you guys…?"

Chie gasped. "It talked! W-What are you?! Y-You wanna fight?!"

The bear's ears flattened as it cringed in fear. "D-Don't yell at me like that…"

Yu frowned and walked over to the bear. "Hey…what are you?"

The bear stopped cowering and looked at Yu with its wide eyes. "I'm a bear. Can't you tell? I live here by myself. I've always lived here. It doesn't have a name."

The bear had a certain verbal tic, usually ending its sentences with "-kuma". Yu found it rather cute…for the most part.

"You…live here?" Yosuke asked.

"If I was you guys, I'd hurry back to the other side." The bear looked around, its ears twitching. "Someone's been throwing people in. It's a big headache…"

Yosuke was perplexed. "Throwing people in? What're you talking about?"

The bear scowled and stomped its foot on the ground. "I dunno who's doing it! I just want them to think before they go doing things like that!"

"Hey, what's your problem?" Chie said forcefully, causing the bear to cower in fear once more. "What gives YOU the right to yell at us like that?! What ARE you?! Where are we?! What the heck's going here?!"

Yu sweat dropped as she found the bear running behind her for cover. _"Right, use me as a shield…"_

"I already told you…" the bear said nervously. "A-Anyways, you should hurry back."

Yosuke crossed his arms. "What it comes down to is, you want us to get outta here, right? Well, so do we! We just don't know how, dammit!"

The bear growled and stomped its foot on the ground. "Urrrrgh! That's why I'm saying I'll let you out!"

"Like I keep saying, we don't know where the fricken' exit—wait, what?" Yosuke looked questioningly at the bear.

The bear tapped its foot on the ground and a column of three televisions appeared out of a puff of smoke in front of the group.

Yosuke took a step back. "What the hell?!"

"Wh-Where did those TVs come from?!" Chie stared wide-eyed at the televisions.

Yu walked out behind the televisions and looked at them. "That's our exit?"

"Okay, now go, go, get outta here! I'm a busy bear!"

"Hey!"

"S-Stop pushing, you stupid bear!"

Yu tried to say something, anything, to get the bear to wait, but in a strange whirl of black and white, she found herself sprawled out on the floor of the electronics department next to Yosuke and Chie. Chie looked around, almost in disbelief.

"We're…we're back?" she managed to say.

Yosuke sighed in relief and smiled. "Y-Yeah…"

"_**Attention, shoppers. Our daily limited-time sale will now begin at the side dish area on the first floor. Why not try the delicious, fresh produce Junes picked for you this morning as your side dish for dinner tonight? All ages are invited to take advantage of this incredible bargain?"**_

Yu's eyes practically gleamed after hearing the announcement. She turned to Yosuke and grabbed onto his shoulder. "You…take me there now…"

Yosuke stared wide-eyed at Yu. "O-Okay…crap, I didn't think it was that late already…"

"I'm just glad we're outta that hellhole…" Chie sighed as she stood up.

Yosuke nodded in agreement as he stood up, helping Yu up afterwards. "Yeah…hey, what's wrong, Narukami?"

"T-That poster…" Yu was staring at a poster of Misuzu Hiiragi on the wall. "I saw this back there…"

Chie blinked and walked over to get a closer look at the poster. "You're right! I couldn't tell before without the face, but it was Misuzu Hiiragi… She's been all over the news lately."

Yu made a face. "Something about her husband having an affair with the announcer lady who died the other day… I haven't heard the end of that affair and now, I won't be hearing the end of Mayumi Yamano's death… You know, at this point, I might as well move into my cousin's room."

Yu had a feeling she'll be having nightmares for a while…

"Do you think there might be a connection to that freaky room and Mayumi Yamano?" Yosuke asked as a bead of sweat rolled down the side of his face. "Now that I think about it…there was that creepy noose hanging from the ceiling…Yaaargh, stop! No more! We gotta stop talking about this!"

Yu nodded her head. "And you gotta take me to the grocery department…right after you take me to the side dish area…"

The announcement encouraged her to take advantage of the bargain and Yu would be damned if she passed it up.

"I'm gonna wipe what happened today from my brain…" Yosuke huffed. "I don't think my poor heart can take anymore…"

"I'm feeling a chill too…" Chie said weakly. "I'm gonna go home… I wanna lie down and rest."

Yu felt her stomach lurch and gagged. "Urk…"

Yosuke stared at Yu. "You need to go to the restroom, Narukami?"

"Hmm…" Yu clutched her stomach.

Yosuke sighed and placed his hand on Yu's shoulder. "Let's go, Narukami…see you tomorrow, Satonaka."

Chie nodded and started to walk away as Yosuke escorted Yu to the nearest restroom.

…

…

Yu walked out of one of the restroom stalls, looking paler than before. She had just finished emptying all the contents in her stomach…and she felt horrible.

"Urgh…" Yu wiped her mouth.

Yosuke looked at Yu as he washed his hands. "Feeling any better?"

Yu stuck out her tongue. "Bleck…"

Yosuke laughed. "You still want me to take you to the side dish area?"

"Yes…" Yu said firmly.

…

…

Yu had no idea just how she did it, but she managed to cook dinner that night. She also managed to surprise Nanako with omurice and earned a smile from the six-year-old. Surprisingly, Dojima was actually home that night as he returned not long after Yu finished making dinner. As Nanako ate her omurice, Dojima turned to Yu, who yawned loudly.

"Uh—Hmm…well, I doubt you'd know…" he began. "But have you heard anything about a student named Saki Konishi?"

Yu stared at Dojima as she rubbed her eye. "Hmm…? Konishi-senpai? I heard she discovered the body…"

"Yeah, it's true…" Dojima sighed. "To be honest…we got a call from her family. She's disappeared."

"What?"

"We've got people looking for her, but she hasn't been found yet…" Dojima sighed again and looked at his plate of omurice. "Work just keeps piling up…"

"_**And now, more on the case still casting a shadow over the foggy town of Inaba. Not long ago, television announcer Mayumi Yamano was found dead in the small town. Up until now, her whereabouts prior to her death had been unknown. But the police investigation has found that she had been staying in the region's famous Amagi Inn."**_

Yu blinked. _"That's the inn Amagi-san's family runs…"_

"_**She had apparently been staying there alone. Perhaps she was taking a vacation to recover from her ordeal…?"**_

"_**Oh, yes, the Amagi Inn! Their hot springs are first-rate! The manager's teenage daughter also works there, and it's rumored that she'll take over the inn this spring. If that happens, she'll be one of the youngest managers on record! I should book another trip there!"**_

"_**Uhh…I-I see… Moving along, it's time for the weather report. The rain has begun to subside. From now until morning, heavy fog warnings will be in effect in the Inaba region. Visibility will be severely reduced, so please be careful if you plan on driving in the area…"**_

As the news continued on, Dojima finally began eating his dinner. After one bite, he turned to Yu immediately. "You cooked dinner, right?"

Yu nodded as she stretched her arms. "I got tired of take-out…and they were having a sale in the side dish area in Junes. I couldn't pass it up…what, you don't like it?"

Dojima shook his head. "No, it's delicious, but…it's just been so long since Nanako and I had actually had a homemade dinner together."

"It's really yummy!" Nanako said in between bites.

Yu looked at Nanako and smiled. "Thanks, it really means a lot."

No one ever commented on her cooking…not like this. At that moment, Yu sneezed.

Dojima frowned. "Are you sick? You're probably still adjusting to the new environment. Nanako, could you get him some cold medicine?"

Nanako nodded and quickly left the table to fetch the cold medicine.

"You should get to bed after you take it…" Dojima told Yu as she rubbed her nose. "By the way…thank you… I know I'm not home very often, but Nanako's been looking much happier now that you're here."

"I suggest you cut back some of your hours to spend time with your daughter…" Yu suggested.

Dojima sighed and shook his head. "If only I could…"

"Okay, I'll watch Nanako for you…and if you want, I can call in sick for you one of these days…"

"I'll keep that in consideration…"

…

…

* * *

_Thursday, April 14__th__ 2011_

_Today has got to be the strangest day I ever had…not to mention, also the most disturbing. I got Satonaka a new umbrella to replace the one she broke mimicking what she saw in a movie. I'll give it to her tomorrow…_

_I've gotten over the fact that my TV tried to eat me some time past midnight. Though, what happened at Junes… I doubt I can ever get over THAT. Of course, Hanamura had to express his surprise in the most eloquent way possible with, "I have to pee!"_

…

…

_At least I now have something to blackmail Hanamura with, if I want to. I'd rather just forget it because he almost did his business with Satonaka and I right there in the same room with him. Ugh, that room…I'm sleeping with Nanako again. I might as well just move in with her. She doesn't mind and I don't mind…it works out…_

_I wonder why that bear was so worried about…I'm not going to lie, but it was pretty cute. I wish I had taken the time to touch its fur while it was using me as a shield…but I digress._

_I don't know how Hanamura will react when he hears the girl he likes is missing. Hopefully, she turns up soon…from what I heard from Hanamura, he had asked Konishi to go to the movies with him on Friday yesterday and she accepted. I really don't want to see him crushed… Still, it must be tough for her to be the one who found the body…_

…

…

_I hope Amagi-san is all right, considering she was just mentioned in the news today and I have a feeling the Amagi Inn is going to get an increase in customers…crap, I just remembered. I forgot to buy paper for origami. Oh well, might as well take the time tomorrow to go to Junes again…I gotta get Hanamura to help me out once more._

_I also need to find a way to earn money…grocery shopping took a number on my wallet. At least there's a week's worth of food in the fridge…_

…

_Nanako's smiling more often and I'm glad. I finally made dinner and…I'm just…still getting over how much Nanako and Dojima liked my cooking. No one has ever said that about my cooking…because I never had anyone to share it with…except for one person, but that person is long gone by now…_

…

_Hey, Mom, Dad…why can't you two be like Dojima? Even though he's rarely home as of lately, he still has time to spend with Nanako and I. He's even eating dinner with us…is it that hard for you two to do that? The only reason I can cook is because you two were never home and I got sick of take-out… At least now, I have an actual purpose to cook…_

* * *

…

…

Yu was beginning to grow accustomed to having Nanako clinging onto her when she woke up. Yu glanced at the clock and noticed that it was thirty minutes before Nanako had to wake up to make breakfast.

"_Hmm…"_ Yu looked at Nanako and smiled.

…

…

Yu was actually shocked to see Dojima walk into the kitchen as she prepared breakfast.

"_He's still home?" _Yu thought as she diced some tofu that she had bought from Marukyu Tofu the other day. She never knew Inaba had a tofu shop…and she was glad there was one because she had forgotten to buy tofu from Junes.

"Didn't think you'd be up so early." Dojima was just as surprised to see Yu awake so early in the morning. The stove was on and something was cooking, what it was exactly, he didn't know. He was still getting over the shock that he was seeing his nephew cook.

"Didn't think you'd be home," Yu countered as she placed the diced tofu into bowls.

"Have you taken a look outside? Visibility's severely reduced because of the fog." Dojima seemed rather content with this.

"Oh, right…say, what are your thoughts on miso soup?" Yu asked as she moved over to the stove.

…

…

Nanako was more than happy to actually wake up early to eat breakfast together with her father and Yu.

"_Maybe I did make the right choice in taking in Yu…"_ Dojima thought as he drank his coffee. Seeing Nanako smiling, brightened his day and it seemed to have the same effect on Yu. "It's good to see you're feeling better."

"Yeah, thanks for the medicine, by the way," Yu said, smiling. "Do you two want anything specific for dinner tonight?"

Nanako placed down her bowl of rice. "Can we have omurice again?"

Yu laughed. "Sure, anything for you…"

"_Definitely the right choice…"_ Dojima smiled.

…

…

The fog cleared up somewhat by the time Yu started making her way towards school. Dojima left to walk Nanako to school, much to Nanako's delight. It was raining and there were still faint traces of fog, but not too much. Along the way, Yu came across Chie and Yukiko, both whom were sharing an umbrella.

Yu presented the green umbrella she bought at Junes to Chie. "For you, Satonaka…don't try breaking this one."

Yukiko blinked. "This one?"

Chie laughed awkwardly and took the umbrella. "It's nothing, Yukiko!"

"Are you feeling any better?" Yu asked as she looked over Chie.

Chie nodded as she opened the umbrella. "I fell asleep the minute I hit the futon yesterday…so I'm feeling much better. Yesterday was hell, though…"

"What happened?" Yukiko asked.

"I'll tell you all about it later," Chie replied. "Though, I doubt you'll believe me…"

The three kept walking forward and soon neared Yasogami High. However, there was someone waiting at the front of the school gates…someone without an umbrella and wearing a different school uniform. It was a male student, a third year most likely, assuming from the age he appeared to be.

He seemed older than Yu, Yukiko, and Chie. By now, he was drenched from head to toe from standing in the rain without an umbrella. He had messy black hair and had a mole under his left eye. What stood out the most, were his pitch, black eyes.

The male student looked around, his pronounced lips forming into a smile as he saw the trio approaching the school gates. "Hey, aren't you Yukiko?"

"Huh?" The trio stopped walking.

"I've been waiting all morning, Yukiko…" The male student walked closer to the three, managing to block their way. He used no honorifics and just called Yukiko by her first name.

Yukiko took a step back. "Wh-Who are you?"

The male student was taller than the three of them, with Yukiko barely coming up to his chin. For Yu and Chie, the difference in height was rather distinct, since the two were already shorter than Yukiko. Only Yukiko kept her calm composure under the male student's almost intimidating stare.

"C'mon, let's go hang out somewhere, Yukiko…" he suggested.

Yukiko's eyes widened. "Eh…?"

Chie scowled. "You're scaring her!"

The male student ignored Chie and walked closer to Yukiko. "Come on already, Yukiko!"

"What's up with him? What school's he from?"

"Never mind that, he's going for Amagi-san? Man, you'd think he'd at least wait until she's alone to make his move…"

Yu scowled as she heard a couple of male on-looking students making comments about what was going on between the male student and Yukiko.

"I bet you a can of TaP he gets knocked out."

"I bet you a can of whoop ass you'll shut your mouth after I throttle you!" Yu practically growled, her right hand already formed into a fist. The two male students bolted almost at once after hearing the dark tone in Yu's threat.

…

"Are you going or not? Well?!" The male student narrowed his eyes on Yukiko.

A small bead of sweat rolled down the side of Yukiko's face. "I'm not going."

"Dude, you're next if you keep this up!" Yu said as she got in front of Yukiko. Unlike the other two students, Yu was legitimately afraid of standing up to this male student, even more so when she saw his left eye twitch a few times. She managed to keep her composure, though.

"Tch, screw you!" and with that, the male student left. "Damn bitch!"

Yu would have been insulted had she not been so relieved. "Glad he's gone…"

"Yo!" Yosuke waved as he walked over to Yu, Yukiko, and Chie. "I expected that from Satonaka, but damn, Narukami."

"I don't like it when people do that to others…" Yu said as a small blush tinged her cheeks. "I used to watch over the girls back in the city…"

Yosuke arched his brow. "Oh, really?"

"Wh-What did he want from me…?" Yukiko finally spoke.

Chie blinked. "What did he want…? Obviously, he was asking you out on a date."

"Huh?" Yukiko was surprised. "Really?"

"You really had no clue?" Chie was shocked. "Sheesh…but then again, that was way over the top. It was creepy how he called you Yukiko all of a sudden."

Yu nodded. "Yeah, no honorifics, too…"

"I'm glad you were here, though…" Chie sighed. "He was really creepy…"

…

…

There was still a little time left before classes began. The three were still in their classroom, talking over what had just happened outside.

"So, you turned down another lovelorn fool, huh?" Yosuke said with a grin. "Man, you're cruel… You got me the same way last year."

Yukiko tilted her head to the side. "I don't recall doing that."

"Whoa, you serious?" Yosuke smiled widely. "So then, you wanna hang out sometime?!"

"I'd rather not…" Yukiko diverted her eyes.

Yosuke sighed. "That'll teach me to get my hopes up…" He laughed. "But that's cool! My sights are set on someone else anyway!"

Yu smiled. "It's Konishi-senpai, right?"

"Yep!" Yosuke took out his cell phone and frowned. "But she's blown off all my texts since yesterday…"

Yu bit her lip. _"That's right…she's gone missing…"_

The sound of sirens caught everyone's attention.

"Geez, another incident?" Yosuke sighed and pocketed his cell phone.

…

…

A school assembly was being held not long after lunch. The auditorium was full of talkative students, some of whom were gossiping about something.

"Where's Amagi-san?" Yosuke asked as he looked around for the black-haired girl.

"She got a call from her family," Chie replied. "She said she had to go home and help with the inn."

Yosuke blinked and looked over Chie's shoulder. She was sending a text message to Yukiko on her cell phone. Blinking once more, Yosuke took out his own cell phone and checked his messages.

"Seriously, what could be keeping Senpai?" Yosuke frowned. "She still hasn't responded…"

"_He doesn't know…"_ Yu felt horrible for knowing a partial reason why Yosuke hadn't heard anything from Saki yet.

"_**Everyone, please settle down,"**_ Sofue called for everyone's attention. _**"The school assembly is about to begin. First, the Principal has something to say."**_

Sofue stepped away to the side, allowing an older gentleman garbed in traditional Japanese clothing to take her place behind the podium.

"_**I…regret to say that I have a terrible announcement for all of you,"**_ he began.

Yosuke was desperately checking his inbox for any new messages.

"_**One of our third-year students, Ms. Saki Konishi of Class 3-B…"**_

"_Is missing…"_ Yu thought as she tightened her fists.

"…_**was found dead earlier this morning."**_

Yu felt her blood run cold. She heard a strangled gasp from Yosuke and turned to him. His face was pale and his eyes were wide as he stared at the principal with wide eyes. He was struggling to say anything, practically at a loss for words.

Yu had just met Saki Konishi. She had heard from Yosuke of how they were going to go watch a movie later today in Okina. He had been keeping a close eye on his phone for any messages from her…and now this had happened? _"Oh my god…"_

"_**The reasons behind her passing are currently under investigation by the police. If they ask you for your cooperation, I urge you, as students of this school, to provide only the facts. I have been assured by the faculty that there's been no evidence that bullying was involved in the incident. So mind what you say, not only to the police but anyone who asks…"**_

The rest of the principal's speech turned into background noise amongst the noisy crowd of chatty students. Yu's attention was still on Yosuke, who was staring ahead in shock, his eyes wide and his mouth partially open. He was still holding his phone, the same phone that would never receive the message he had been waiting for.

…

…

* * *

A/N End of chapter. So I guess it would be appropriate to say that shit just hit the fan…because it just did. Yeah, if you guys noticed, a certain creepy guy who asked Yukiko out on a date didn't appear in an earlier chapter until now…on the same day of Saki Konishi's death. That's because I was following the way it was done in the anime.

Not gonna lie, I love how the anime portrayed a certain person who shall remained unnamed until later chapters. It just seemed fitting for him to be waiting in the rain all morning for Yukiko. I mean, creepy yeah, but he was already creepy to begin within the game. The anime just took it to another level.

If you've guys been watching Yu, you can see that she can be a little hostile when needed. Of course, Yu Narukami in the anime was like this, but mostly relied on his stature and expression, not words, when it came to intimidation. Female Yu has to be verbal and almost physical to get her point through.

A bit of a reminder…I'm going on a developed personality for female Yu and you gotta remember, Yu has stats. There is Knowledge, Diligence, Courage, Understanding, and Expression…from what you can see, Yu doesn't have much courage and has trouble expressing herself. That is meant to be intentional.

Also, you might have noticed the first question Kimiko Sofue, the Egyptian lady, asked has changed…yeah, let me tell you about _Golden_! They changed the fucking questions! D: I had to BS my way through the first few questions until I found a guide with all the answers…because KD ain't gonna pass up her Knowledge increases because we all know how damn difficult it is to max that stat out. You'll start seeing more _Golden_ exclusive things from this point onwards.

Also, if you guys are confused about a certain bear's verbal tic, here's the thing…it's something exclusive to the Japanese version. The English version replaces it with bear puns. If you've watched the anime subbed, you'll know what I mean. It's a language-exclusive thing. The reason I mentioned this is because I find it adorable and I just wanted to include it. I'll probably find a way to make some sense of this verbal tic. Heh…

Dojima is getting a bit of early bonding with Yu. Social link go! Well, not yet, but it'll be leading to a social link eventually. Did anyone see the **Hiimdaisy** references up in this chapter? Again, I said it'll be ranging from subtle to blatant. Also, I want to give a big shout out to **Paper Crease**, reviewer number 10 of this fic! Also to **toyotama**, who has been with this fic since chapter 1! And for everyone else, those with actual accounts and those who are anonymous…thank you! Just taking the time to review…thank you.

And a bit of rather funny coincidence, it rained last night in mah town…and while it's a rather populated town, a lot of us consider it rural because well…it kinda looks rural. Ignoring the various fast-food places and stores (we do have a downtown shopping district that's doing rather well). Yeah, so when it comes to _Persona 4_, the whole premise of it being located in a place such as Inaba kinda hits close to home for me, which is why I connect more often with these sets of characters and the events that go on.

* * *

**WARNING: Skip if you do not wish to read something depressing because KD be sharing stuff about her life and home town.**

I mean really, a lot of us know each other and when something happens, say someone dies, it affects EVERYONE. We've had a teacher die four years ago (I was in the eighth grade), you wouldn't believe how much it affected my whole junior high because the guy was a really nice guy and awesome…even I didn't know the teacher and it hit me hard because it affected everyone else. And then there was that hit-and-run incident a year earlier before that involving a girl I used to see every day in my second period PE class…not seeing her there, hanging out with her friend…it just hurts. I was in seventh grade then…just…the feels! She was only twelve years old…that's how old I was! D:

Speaking of which, the incident happened on March 11th, 2008. So really, this little comment is relevant. The teacher died February 7th, 2009, and I'm sorry to bring up such a depressing topic, but you gotta understand how much I relate to the _Persona 4_ gang and Inaba.

**END OF DISCUSSION: You are safe from depressing matters.**

* * *

Anyways, hope you enjoyed this chapter! ^^ I'm having fun with this story, I mean, it's been a while since I've had fun! Review if you wish, because I appreciate hearing from the readers, just don't flame…I don't appreciate those and I welcome constructive criticism because it can help.

Well that's about it for this chapter, so wait patiently for the next one! I'll try to get it up soon! Until, KD out! XD


	5. The Magician

After the assembly, Yosuke ran from Yu and Chie and disappeared into the crowd of people leaving the building. They found him standing alone to the side as people made their way out of the practice building and into the main building. It hurt Yu to see Yosuke so depressed. It didn't help that the students passing by were talking about the depressing matter as if it was nothing.

"Her body was hung up somewhere just like Yamano. This time it was a telephone pole!"

Yosuke did nothing but just watched the rain fall.

"Hanamura!" Chie called out.

Yosuke blinked and finally spoke. "Tell me, did you watch the Midnight Channel last night?"

Chie was taken aback with the question. "How dare you bring that up now!"

"Hear me out!" Yosuke's voice almost sounded broken. "Last night, I had to watch it again. I think the girl on the screen was Saki-senpai."

Yu's breath hitched. It never did occur to her as to who the girl on the Midnight Channel was until now. Now that Yosuke had mentioned it, the girl did look a lot like Saki.

"Oh my god…" Yu was horrified. The image she saw before her encounter with her television popped up in mind. "I saw her writhing in pain…"

"It happened again last night." Yosuke's expression was grim. "Only, I was able to see it much clearly…Don't you two remember? Someone claimed Yamano was his soulmate after he saw her on the Midnight Channel. I heard that Senpai died practically the same way as Yamano."

A small bead of sweat rolled down the side of Chie's face. "You don't think…"

"People who appear on the Midnight Channel die…" Yu managed to say. "Is that you guys are thinking?"

"Hmm…" Chie bit her lip and said nothing.

"I can't say for sure…" Yosuke turned to Chie and Yu. "It can't all be just coincidence. Remember how Misuzu Hiiragi's posters were inside the TV…"

"Maybe the world inside the TV is somehow related to these cases," Yu suggested.

Yosuke tightened his fists and stepped forward. "What if Senpai and Yamano went to that world?!"

Chie's eyes widened. "Hanamura, you wouldn't—!"

…

At Junes,

…

"Seriously, don't do this!"

Chie found herself trying to talk Yosuke out of going back into the television. Yosuke already had rope tied around his waist. He had made his decision and he wasn't changing it. Yu could already see that by just how determined he looked.

"We've already escaped once…" Yosuke said as he looked at the blank television screen. "And we might run into that bear again if we used the same entrance."

Chie tightened her fists. "But you don't know that for sure!"

"It's just…" Yosuke choked back a sob. "I need to know why Senpai had to die like this…"

Chie frowned. "Hanamura…"

…

"Fine, I'll go with you," Yu finally spoke.

"What?!" Chie was shocked.

Yosuke was elated. "For real?"

Yu nodded. She wasn't going to let Yosuke go in there alone. She was going to be there to support him. Right now, Yosuke needed all the help he could get.

"Here, take this!" Yosuke handed Yu a golf club. "It's dangerous, so we need to be prepared."

"So you brought a golf club?" Yu stared at the golf club in her possession. "Really? Of all the things you could bring, a golf club?"

Yosuke scowled. "Hey, I was in a rush and we're sold out on baseball bats!"

Yu made a face. "It's baseball season already?"

"I don't know, maybe?" Yosuke shook his head and handed the rope to Chie. "Satonaka, I'm leaving you in charge of this."

"Huh?"

"We'll go in with this tied to me, so I want you to hold on to this and wait here."

"Wh-What? Then…this is a lifeline? C'mon, wait a sec…" Chie's pleads were ignored as Yu and Yosuke were already walking towards the large television screen. "H-Hey! I said wait!"

By now, it was too late as Yu and Yosuke had climbed into the television screen.

…

…

_Bam!_

"Owww…Man…what the hell did I land on?"

"Yosuke Hanamura, I suggest…you…move your hands…"

"Narukami?"

"NOW!"

Yosuke quickly rolled off of Yu, allowing her to actually breathe. Yu coughed a few times before breathing in deeply. Yosuke had landed right on her chest…

"I'm amazed… you haven't, ah… broken my ribs…" Yu said in between gasps. "Ah…"

Yosuke laughed awkwardly. "Ahah…sorry…I'll make it up to you."

"Take me to whichever area of Junes that has origami paper…"

"Ah, what's the occasion?"

"Hobby…aren't we supposed to be doing something?"

"Right!" Yosuke quickly stood up and helped Yu get on her feet. "Anything else you need?"

"A job…"

"Well…I'll try to see if there are any openings…" Yosuke blinked and looked around. "Hey! This is the same place as last time!"

"So they are connected from place to place…" Yu adjusted her shirt, having noticed that a few buttons had been undone.

"Hey, are you hurt?" Yosuke looked closely at Yu's chest. "Are those bandages?"

"Hanamura, why do you always have the need to be this close to me?" Yu asked as she had somehow managed not to blush. _"I wonder if he's noticed…"_

Yosuke backed away. "I'm just…worried…"

"Don't…" Yu said firmly as she buttoned up her shirt. "It's something I rather not talk about…It's personal."

Yosuke nodded. "I see…but you're fine, right?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" Yu smiled widely. _"He hasn't figured it out…is it really that hard?"_

"Y-You guys… Why'd you come back…?" The mysterious bear from the other day approached Yu and Yosuke. It looked troubled at first, but then it growled. "I get it! You're the ones behind this!"

"It's you again! Wait, what the hell did you just say?!" Yosuke crossed his arms as he stared at the bear.

The bear turned its back to Yu and Yosuke. "Lately, I can tell someone's been throwing people in here. It's making this world more and more messed up…" The bear turned around to face them. "This is the second time you guys came here. And I don't think anyone forced you in. That means you're the most suspicious!"

Yu took a step back. "What?!"

"You guys must be the ones throwing people in here, raaaawr!"

"Don't label us like that!" Yu couldn't help but protest.

"What're you talking about, 'throwing people in'?" Yosuke snapped. "If someone was thrown in here and they couldn't get out, they might die! Who would do such a—"

"Uh, Hanamura…?" Yu placed her hand on Yosuke's shoulder. "I think the bear is talking about Konishi-senpai and the announcer. That 'someone' might have thrown them in…"

"And you're the ones doing it!" the bear exclaimed as it pointed at Yu and Yosuke. "Why else would you come back here? It's a one-way door! You can't get out once you're in! Remember? How I had to let you guys out?"

Yosuke scowled. "Yeah, whatever. We don't need your help this time! See, this time we have a lifeli—"

"Uh, Hanamura…the rope snapped…" Yu said as she stared wide-eyed at the rope's severed end.

Yosuke looked at the rope in his hand. "Whaaaaat?!"

Yu lightly scratched the side of her cheek. "I think we owe Satonaka an apology…"

…

Meanwhile

…

Chie rubbed her eyes as she sat on the floor, having collapsed onto her knees sometime ago. The rope had just snapped and now…she didn't know how Yu and Yosuke were going to come back.

"I knew this wasn't going to work…" she said as she sniffed. "What am I going to say if you two don't turn up? Uwaah…"

…

…

Yosuke focused his attention on the bear. "H-Hey! You better let us out once we're done investigating here!"

"_My how the tables have turned…"_ Yu sighed as she sweat dropped.

"Grrrrr! I'm the one who wants to investigate!" The bear glared at Yu and Yosuke. "I lived here for a long time. But it's never been noisy like this till now. Do you have proof?! Prove to me you're not throwing people in here!"

"Proof?" Yu was confused.

The bear turned to Yu. "See! So it is you guys!"

"For the last time, it's not us, so we've got nothing to prove to you!" Yosuke was furious. "You better answer our questions. This isn't like last time, when we came by accident. We're dead serious! Listen up, 'cause people have _died_ in our world…Every time the fog appears, a dead body shows up with it. It _has_ to be related to this place somehow! If you know something, tell us!"

"A dead body? Whenever the fog appears…?" The bear stopped to contemplate. "I know that if it's foggy on your side, the fog lifts here. It's really dangerous when the fog lifts. That's when the Shadows get violent…Aaaah, I get it…"

Yosuke made a face. "Huh…? If you get it, then explain it to us, dammit! If it's foggy on our side, it isn't in here…? Shadows get violent…?"

"That's why I said to hurry back! It's dangerous when that happens! Okay, no more questions!" The bear growled. "I know you guys did it! You better stop right now!"

"I've told you and told you, we're not the ones doing it! I've about had it with you…Why the hell won't you listen to what we're saying?!"

"I-I'm just saying…you might be the culprits. I'm just making sure…"

"What…?" Yosuke held out his hands. "Man, this bear's driving me nuts…What is this place, anyways? It looks like a TV studio…is something being filmed here?"

Yu shrugged. "I dunno."

"H-Hey, don't tell me…" Yosuke scowled. "Is that weird show being filmed here?!"

The bear looked questioningly at Yosuke. "Weird show? Filmed? What does that mean?"

"I'm asking if someone's been filming the people that get thrown in here."

"…? I don't get it… This world has always been like this. No one has ever done that filming thing here."

"Always been like this…?" Yu made a face.

"Only me and Shadows are here! I told you before!"

"Ugh…we don't know what these Shadow things are! Or what you are either, for that matter!" Yosuke tightened his fists as he glared at the bear. "You keep telling us to prove our innocence, but you're the most suspicious thing here! Maybe you're the real culprit! And what's with that stupid costume?! I'd say it's time you showed your face!"

Yosuke walked over to the bear and gripped its head as he started to tug. The bear flailed its arms around, but to no avail as Yosuke's grip was firm and his tugging continued.

Pop!

Yosuke's eyes widened as he dropped the bear's head in shock. There was nothing inside the suit! And yet…the bear was still moving! The pupils on the bear's head suddenly disappeared, leaving the eyes blank in a rather eerie manner.

"Wh-What the hell are you…?" Yosuke stumbled back and landed rear-first on the ground. "I-It's empty inside…how does that work?!"

Yu bit her lip and walked over to the bear. They needed answers from this bear and without its head, it couldn't talk. To fix that, Yu grabbed the bear's head and attached it back onto its neck.

The pupils returned almost immediately to the bear's eyes.

The bear sighed in relief and turned to Yu. "Thanks, Pal!"

Yu just nodded, her expression stoic.

"Narukami, does anything rattle you?" Yosuke was stunned with how calm Yu was.

"Oh, I'm rattled…I'm just not showing it…" Yu could feel her heart palpitating.

"I'm not the culprit…" The bear frowned. "I wouldn't do such a thing…I just live here. Look, I'll take your word that you grizzlies didn't do it."

"Why the sudden change of heart?" Yosuke was perplexed.

The bear hopped onto its feet and flailed its arms around. "But in exchange, I want you to find the real culprit, and make him stop doing this! Promise or else I'm not gonna let you guys outta here!"

Yosuke blinked and scowled. "Why you little—!"

Yu managed to keep Yosuke from pouncing on the mysterious bear. "Calm down, calm down…"

"For a little guy…agh…you're rather strong!" Yosuke strained through his teeth.

"This can't keep going on!" the bear continued. "My home here will be a complete mess! And then…and then…I…Waaah!"

"Wh-What're you crying for all of a sudden…agh!" Yosuke stopped struggling and as a result, ended up catching Yu off guard. What happened next ended up with Yu falling back onto the ground with Yosuke on right on her. "Geez, this thing's really weirding me out…Narukami, are you okay?"

"You're…crushing me…"

"Huh?"

"Get off!"

"S-Sorry!"

…

Yu stood up once Yosuke had gotten off of her. She smoothed down her clothes, sighing, "Seriously, twice in a day…"

"At least I didn't land on your chest again…" Yosuke laughed awkwardly. "Seriously, are you all right? I have some medicine if you need any…"

"You two are beary strange grizzlies…" the bear said as it looked closely at Yu and Yosuke.

Yosuke turned to the bear. "Look, what do you want us to do?"

Yu sighed and rubbed the back of her head. This was turning into a rather interesting day, despite the depressing matter spoken much earlier. Still, Yu couldn't help but feel a sense of déjà vu…

"_Why am I not that surprised about this?"_ Yu was still shocked by everything, but at the same time, she almost expected it…sort of. _"Wait, that's right…Igor…"_

"_It seems you will encounter a great misfortune at your destination, and a great mystery will be imposed upon you…"_

"_Don't tell me…this is the mystery that is imposed on me?_" Yu sighed as a bead of sweat rolled down the side of her face. _"Damn Tarot card reading…just what was that contract about?"_

Yu felt like she had sold off her soul at this point. She had no say in anything because she made a promise that she had to keep and that was most likely finding the culprit and solving this mystery.

"_I guess it's time to split up and search for clues…"_ Yu had no choice. She and Yosuke couldn't leave this world without the bear's help and it was taking advantage of that fact.

"You're the only ones I can ask…" The bear frowned. "Will you promise me…?"

Yu took one look at the bear's face and sighed. "I promise."

The bear perked up and smiled. "Thank you!"

"Damn bear… Practically holding a gun to our heads…" Yosuke huffed. "But…you got my word, too. Might as well introduce ourselves…I'm Yosuke Hanamura, and this is my buddy Yu Narukami. You got a name?"

The bear's ears twitched before it replied, "Teddie."

Yosuke sweat dropped. "Figures…"

"What did you expect from a bear?" Yu gestured at Teddie. "Kintaro?"

Yosuke face palmed. "Anyways, where do we begin?"

"I dunno," Teddie said simply. "Oh, but I know where the last person came in. I'll take you there. You might find clues, but first, you two should put these on."

Yosuke and Yu stared questioningly at the two pairs of glasses that Teddie handed them. Aside from wondering where exactly Teddie got them, Yu and Yosuke were also questioning the purpose for them.

"What're these glasses for…?" Yosuke asked as he put them on. His eyes went wide behind the lenses. "Whoa! The difference is like night and day! It's like the fog doesn't even exist!"

Yu put on the pair she was given. "You're right…"

"They'll help you walk through the fog," Teddie explained. "Well, I've been here for a long time. So you can rely on me! But I can only show you where the place is. You guys will have to defend yourselves."

"What happened to relying on you?! Th-There better not be any monsters! You understand?!"

"_Note to self: Hanamura gets angry when scared…"_ Yu thought as she picked up the golf club that had fallen out of her possession during the fall she and Yosuke had after entering the world. "All right, I'm armed and dangerous…let's get moving."

Yosuke stared strangely at Yu. "Wha…?"

Yu walked over to Yosuke and grabbed onto his arm. "All right, lead the way, Teddie."

Teddie nodded and started walking ahead of the two. "I'll give you guys moral support from a safe distance!"

"Moral support?!" Yosuke repeated.

"Awesome," Yu deadpanned as she dragged Yosuke by the arm.

…

…

"What is this place…?" Yosuke looked at his surroundings. "It looks just like the shopping district…"

"Only…creepier…" Yu took note of the black and red sky. "And more rundown…"

"What's going on here?!" Yosuke was growing uncomfortable, most likely from the fact that Yu was still gripping his arm. "Can you let go of my arm? I can walk, you know."

Yu released Yosuke's arm. "I know, but I'm this group's only mean of defense, so excuse me if I end up dragging you around."

"You're rather calm about this."

"I'm terrified beyond my wits and screaming on the inside…I'm amazed I haven't broken down yet." Though, it probably did help that Yu had some sort of support. _"Moral support be damned useful."_

"Teddie, why are you standing so far from us?" Yosuke noticed how far Teddie was from them. Teddie was originally leading the two and had slowly made his way to the back of them. "You better not be planning to high-tail it if something does come up."

Teddie's pupils shrank. "Of course not! I mean…" Teddie averted his gaze as a pink blush tinged his cheeks. "I can't stand too close…I'd get in your way, ya know."

"Whatever you say, Teddie…" Yosuke sighed and shook his head. "Man, they really went all out on this… But out of all the places in town, why'd they replicate this one?"

Teddie's ears twitched. "How should I know? This is reality for the one who's here."

"As usual, nothing you say makes any sense…" Yosuke turned away. "But if this is our shopping district, we're not far from Saki-senpai's…"

Yu scowled as she watched Yosuke run off. "Hanamura, you idiot! I'm your only means of defense, despite the fact that I'm only armed with a freaking golf club! Wait up!"

Yu followed after Yosuke, Teddie following behind not long after. Yosuke stopped once he came upon a certain store with a rather weird vortex-like entrance that resembled the red and black sky.

"I knew it! This is the liquor store that Senpai's parents run." Yosuke thought for a moment. "Does that mean…Senpai disappeared here? What could've happened…?"

"W-Wait a second…they're here!"

Yu and Yosuke looked questioningly at Teddie. Teddie was looking around, panicking about something that he knew about that Yu and Yosuke didn't.

"Shadows…I had a feeling they were going to attack…!"

Yu's eyes widened as she heard something land on the ground with an audible, wet _splat_. She turned around and managed to choke back a scream when she saw the black slime and blue mask combo on the floor. It was _moving_…and it wasn't alone. There was a second one and both it and the other were staring at Yu and Yosuke

Both piles of masked, black slime rose into the air, each gathering into a separate near spherical shape. The black slime began to change color at that moment, turning into a pink and black striped pattern. By now, the slime had solidified, having transmogrified into a different being. With a turn, it revealed something Yu and Yosuke were unable to see from their current positions: a giant mouth with human-like teeth and a long, black slobbering tongue.

Then, without warning, Yosuke found himself being licked by one of them. It was enough to snap him out of his stupor. "WAIT WHAT WHAT IS THIS?!"

Yu scowled and raised the golf club over her head. "GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM HIM!"

BAM!

Yu bashed the creature as hard as she could in hopes of getting it away from Yosuke. She had a feeling the attack didn't do much damage, but it managed to stun the creature momentarily, giving Yu enough time to pull Yosuke away.

"Are you okay?" Yu quickly asked Yosuke as she looked over him. Tears were weld up in the corners of Yosuke's eyes as he wiped off the slobber on his face. Apart from that, Yosuke seemed perfectly fine.

_Slurp!_

"Gyyaagh!"

BAM!

Yu panted as she held out the golf club in front of her. Tears were weld up in her eyes as she stared at the two levitating creatures. While she had been preoccupied with Yosuke's wellbeing, one of the creatures had licked her. She was quick to react and managed to land a solid hit with her golf club, but like before, the hit didn't do much damage. It just stunned momentarily.

Yu was at a loss at what to do. All she was capable of doing was attacking with a golf club, which didn't really do much damage except shatter a few teeth. There were two of them and only one of her…she was never going to manage.

"**I am thou…"**

Yu felt a sharp pain in her head. "Ngh…"

"**Thou art I…"**

"Agh…" The pain was getting worse.

"**The time has come. Open thine eyes and call forth what is within!"**

Suddenly, the pain subsided and Yu found herself staring a blue card that had appeared in the palm of her right hand. There was an image on it that resembled the masks the creatures had, but for some reason, Yu wasn't disturbed by it. She flipped the card over and found the other side blank…at first. The card began to shine brightly as a familiar silhouette appeared on the card.

Yu stared at the shining card, a smile beginning to form on her lips. She felt a certain… warmth, a certain…familiarity. A presence in the back of her mind stirred as a sudden burst of energy spread through her body, coursing through her veins, yearning to be released.

"Per…so…na…" The word slowly escapes her mouth in a whisper. The card is engulfed in blue flames, and it levitates in the palm of her hand. The flames don't burn, even when she closes her hand into a fist, crushing the card with surprise ease. It shatters like glass and even sounds as such.

"HAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!" she screamed, almost in pain. Her body was engulfed in blue flames and a sudden rush of energy, the same burst that had been coursing through her veins, flowed out of her body. The sensation was almost too much for her, but she endured it.

The silhouette on the card manifested over Yu and from there, details began to fill in, giving the silhouette an actual identity. Its humanoid shape gained an evident masculine form, specifying its gender, male. He wore a long, black coat and a white, metal helmet that obscured his face. He was a tall, intimidating figure armed with a long, metal naginata.

Silver eyes met golden eyes once more. Yu felt a similar sense of comfort, a rather close bond of some sort. He knew who she was and he was willing to protect her at any given moment…that was what his gaze seemed to say. He disappeared moments after, but Yu knew he wasn't gone…he was just waiting for her to summon him.

Yu diverted her attention back on the creatures. They just stared at her, waiting…contemplating, even. She switched the golf club into her right hand and used her left to adjust her glasses. She didn't know how to go at it since she was still protecting Teddie and Yosuke, both of whom were standing behind her.

"Stay calm and listen!" Teddie suddenly said. "Some Shadows have weaknesses."

"_So these are Shadows…"_ Yu tightened her grip on the golf club.

"If you can pinpoint that weakness and take advantage of it, the battle will be a lot easier! I can tell this one has a weakness too!" Teddie was actually rather useful, except for one thing…

"Mind telling me what that weakness _is_?" Yu asked as she took a hesitant step forward.

"Try stuff out and see what works!" was all she got out from Teddie.

"Some help that is!" Yosuke remarked, almost bonking Teddie over the head.

Yu sighed and shook her head. She was on her own…or rather, _they_ were on their own. Yu felt pressure beginning to weld up inside her as she summoned the card. Just like before, she crushed it in her right hand and _he_ returned to her side. She focused her attention on the creatures, the Shadows, and at that moment, the Shadows made their first move.

"Izanagi!"

The name came to her almost naturally and the towering figure with golden eyes responded immediately upon hearing his name. Izanagi charged forward and attacked the Shadows with a bolt of lightning. The attack left one of the Shadows twitching on the ground as the other managed to dodge.

Yu was prepared for the other Shadow. She gripped the golf club firmly with both hands and, after some careful, precise timing, she swung. "Fore!"

BAM!

The impact caused more teeth to shatter and actually managed to knock the Shadow down onto the ground in a daze. Yu stared at the writhing Shadows on the floor and turned to Izanagi. His golden eyes met her silver eyes and in a gaze that spoke a thousand words, the two agreed on their next action.

"Let's go, Izanagi!" Yu and Izanagi charged at the two incapacitated Shadows. Yu struck down one Shadow with her golf club while Izanagi cleaved the other with his blade. The two moved at the same time, practically mirroring each other. Black slime was all that was left of the two Shadows by the time Yu and Izanagi had finished their attacks.

Yu scanned the area, wanting to ensure that everything was in fact fine. Finding no sign of any danger, Yu turned to Izanagi and nodded. Izanagi responded with a similar gesture and disappeared in a blue light.

"Whoa, wh-what was that?!" Yosuke ran over to Yu's side. "Did I hear you say, 'Persona'? What was it—I mean, what did you do?!" Yosuke seemed rather excited, quite the change of character he had. "Hey, you think I can do it too…?"

Yu turned to Yosuke and sighed. She really had no idea what had just happened…it just happened. She could feel a surge of energy inside welding up inside her. It was a bit…disorienting.

"Calm down, Yosuke!" Teddie walked over to them. "You're troubling Sensei!"

"S-Sensei…?" Yosuke repeated.

Teddie ignored Yosuke and turned to Yu. His eyes practically sparkled as he looked up at Yu. "Gosh almighty! You're amazing, Sensei! I am one impressed bear! I can't believe you were hiding such an amazing power! No wonder the Shadows were scared of you!"

Yu didn't know how to respond to Teddie's flood of compliments. Right now, she was preoccupied with the strange burning sensation within her. It took her a few seconds to realize what it was before she suddenly bolted from Teddie and Yosuke.

"Sensei?"

"Narukami!"

Yosuke and Teddie stared wide-eyed at Yu as she emptied the contents of her stomach onto the ground.

…

…

"Are you okay?" Yosuke watched Yu walk over to him and Teddie.

Yu wiped her mouth. "I'm fine, Hanamura…just fine…"

"Hey, Sensei…are you the one who's able to bring people into this world?" Teddie looked questioningly at Yu.

Yu responded with a simple nod as she spat on the ground. She could still taste her lunch…

"Hah! That's what I thought!" Teddie was surprised nonetheless. "This is really something. Don't you think so, Yosuke?"

Yosuke pushed Teddie, causing him to roll back and forth on the spot before landing on his feet again. "Dude, you call him Sensei and then don't show me any respect?!"

Teddie didn't seem to be aware of honorifics or just didn't want to bother with Yosuke. He looked apologetically at Yosuke. "Sorry…"

Yosuke looked guilty at that. "W-Well, your support wasn't bad, though. I gotta give you some credit for that."

Teddie blushed. "Huh? R-Really…? Heehee."

Yosuke smiled in his usual one-eye-opened manner. "All right, you two keep it up, and I think we'll be fine from here on out."

"Problem." Yu held out the golf club in her possession. It was completely bent out of shape.

Yosuke waved it off. "You got that Persona-thingy—"

"Izanagi," Yu firmly corrected.

"—Izanagi on you, I don't think you'll need a weapon." Yosuke crossed his arms. "He's pretty strong as is."

Yu stared blankly at Yosuke as she dropped the golf club. "Just saying it helped…especially since it got that thing off you—"

"Can we not talk about _that_?" Yosuke grimaced. "I just…it _licked_ me…"

"I understand, Hanamura…" Yu was also licked by that Shadow and she was also as shaken up by it. She could understand what Yosuke was going through.

Yosuke cleared his throat. "Now let's get back to the investigation! The sooner we get this done, the sooner we can get out of this place…"

"Not that we don't like you, Teddie…" Yu said in a reassuring tone. "We're just rather…bothered."

Teddie smiled. "No problem!"

Yosuke sighed and made his way over to the vortex-like entrance to the Konishi liquor store. Yu and Teddie followed after Yosuke, but just as they were about to enter, voices began to echo from somewhere.

"_**I wish Junes would go under…"**_

"_**It's all because of that store…"**_

Yosuke stepped back, nearly choking out in shock, "Wh-What the…?"

"_**Oh, I heard that Konishi-san's daughter is working there."**_

Yu didn't like where this was going…especially since it was hitting close to home for Yosuke on not just one level, but two.

"_**Oh my… How could she, with her family's business suffering like it is…?"**_

"_**I heard their sales have gone downhill because of Junes."**_

"S-Stop it…" Yosuke clenched his fists, almost in pain. The words hurt…

"_**That poor father…to have his own daughter working for the enemy…"**_

"_**What a troublesome child…"**_

Yosuke straightened up and turned to Teddie. "Hey…Hey, Ted!"

Teddie turned to Yosuke, his ears twitching in response to hearing a shortened version of his name. Yu arched her brow at Yosuke. "I guess that whole 'Sensei' thing got to him…"

"You said that this place is reality for those that are here, right?" Yosuke had a hard time speaking. "So…does that mean this was Senpai's reality when she wandered in here…?"

Teddie made a face. "I…only know about what's over here."

Yosuke clenched his teeth and turned to the vortex-like entrance. "Fine…Whatever's going on here…we'll find out ourselves!"

…

…

The interior of the liquor was dark with various stacks of alcohol reaching the ceiling. Shelves were lined with bottles varying in type of alcohol and brand. And much like outside, there were voices inside as well, but this time it was just one voice and it was male.

"_**Saki, how many times do I have to tell you?!"**_

"I-Is this…Senpai's dad…?" Yosuke murmured.

"_**You know what the neighbors say about you, right?! Aren't you ashamed of yourself? You're the eldest daughter of a family who's owned this store for generations! Is it the money? Or did you meet some guy there? Just tell me why you have to work THERE, of all places!"**_

Yosuke sighed heavily. "I…I can't believe this…She seemed like she had fun at work… She never said anything like this to me…You're telling me THIS was how Senpai really saw things?!"

Yu was growing rather concerned for Yosuke. Yosuke really did care for Saki and the fact that he was just hearing about these things not long after hearing about the news of her untimely death didn't really help ease the pain… _"Poor guy just keeps getting kicked each time he tries to get up…"_

Yosuke walked over to the counter, having seen something that caught his eye. Upon closer look, he found out there were many cut up photos. What got to Yosuke the most were what the photos were of…him and Saki. He picked on up and looked it over. "It's the photo we took the other day with the other part-timers at Junes… Wh-Why's it cut up like this…?"

Yu looked sympathetically at Yosuke as she walked over to him. She looked at the various scraps of photos and noticed something that stuck out. She picked it up and managed to make out what seemed to be a ripped up movie ticket.

"Runway…Heart?" The ticket was still intact…at least, the side that mattered, but the fact that it was ripped hinted at something.

"I gave Senpai that…" Yosuke choked out.

Yu turned to Yosuke and frowned. _"It just doesn't stop for him…"_

"_**I…never had the chance to say it…"**_

Yosuke's eyes widened. "Is that…Senpai's voice?!"

"_**I always wanted to tell Hana-chan…"**_

Yosuke blinked owlishly. "Huh…? Me…?"

"…_**that he was a real pain in the ass."**_

Yosuke's arms went slack and the picture in his possession fell onto the floor. "Wha…?"

"_**I was nice to him just because he was the manager's son, that's all… But he takes it completely the wrong way and gets all enthusiastic…What a dip."**_

"P-Pain in the ass…?" Yu nearly cringed upon hearing the hurt tone in Yosuke's voice.

"_**Who cares about Junes, anyway? Because of that store, our business is ruined, my parents hate me, the neighbors talk behind my back… I just wish everything would just disappear…"**_

"I-It's a lie…" Yosuke said in disbelief, his voice almost cracking. "This can't be…Senpai's not like that…!"

Everything Yosuke thought he knew about Saki was just shattered in the past few moments. Yu wished she could do something to help Yosuke out, but she didn't know how…she didn't understand Yosuke that well yet. Still, that didn't mean she couldn't try…

"**It's so sad…" **a distorted voice sniffed almost cynically. **"I feel so sorry for myself… Boo hoo…"**

Yu's eyes widened. _"That sounds like…Hanamura, but…he's right…"_

Yu and Yosuke turned around slowly, their gaze soon focusing in on something that shocked both of them. Standing in the corner of the room, nearly hidden by the shadows, was another Yosuke, except he had solid yellow eyes and had a dark aura emanating from his body.

"**Actually, I'm the one who thinks everything's a pain in the ass," **he said scornfully with a twisted smile. He laughed menacingly afterwards, his warped voice adding more to his ominous demeanor.

"H-Huh?" Teddie's pupils shrank. "Two Yosukes…?"

Yosuke scowled and ran over to confront the other "Yosuke". "Who are you?! I-I wouldn't think that…"

"**Hahaha…Yeah, right. How long are you going to keep deluding yourself?"**

Yu tightened her fists. She really didn't like where this was going. Yosuke was nearing his breaking point and the other "Yosuke" seemed to know that. He was purposely provoking Yosuke…but for what reason?

"**Screw the shopping district, and Junes too! You're sick of everything, especially living out in the sticks!"**

A small bead of sweat rolled down the side of Yosuke's face. "What're you saying…? That's not true, I—"

The other "Yosuke" cut Yosuke off. **"You put on a good show of being carefree and happy-go-lucky 'cause you're so terrified of being alone. The more the merrier, right? You've gotta be surrounded by people to block out the pain of isolation…and what better way to do that by going after the transfer student?"**

Yu blinked. "Huh?"

"**Transfer student from the big city. Not only is he new and interesting, but he's also like you…the perfect person to relate to…the perfect cure for boredom."**

Yosuke scowled. "Shut up!"

"Is that what I really am…?" Yu couldn't help but find herself asking…out loud.

Yosuke turned to Yu and shook his head frantically. "N-No!"

"**And what's this about checking out this world for Saki-senpai's sake? Hah! I know the real reason you came snooping…"**

Yosuke was starting to lose it. "S-Stop it!"

"**Hahaha! Why so panicked? I thought I was just spouting bullshit! Or maybe…I DO know everything you're thinking! Why's that…? Because I AM you!"**

Yu frowned and turned to Yosuke. "Hanamura…"

Yosuke wasn't listening anymore. He was too preoccupied with the other self.

"**You just came because you thought it sounded like a good time! What else is there to do in this shithole? A world inside the TV—now that's exciting! You didn't have a single other reason for coming here, did you?!"**

"That's not true…Stop…Stop it…" Yosuke's voice nearly cracked.

"**You're just trying to act like a big shot… If all went well, hey, maybe you could even be a hero! And that Senpai you were so sweet on? Her death was the perfect excuse!"**

"That's not true!" Yosuke snapped. "What are you?! Who are you?!"

The other "Yosuke" chuckled darkly. **"I already told ya. I'm you…Your Shadow…There's nothing I don't know about you!"**

"Screw that! I don't know you!" Yosuke clenched his teeth. "You can't be me, you son of a bitch!"

Silence…

Yu felt a chill go up her spine. Something stirred within her…almost in reaction to the ominous silence. _"Izanagi?"_ It was almost as if he was trying to warn her to prepare herself…but for what?

Yosuke's Shadow started laughing. First, it started off as a quiet, dark chuckle, but soon it turned into a loud, maniacal cackle. His eyes shone brightly, almost menacingly.** "That's right! Say it again!"**

A small bead of sweat rolled down the side of Yosuke's face as he stared at his Shadow. "You're not me…Y-You're nothing like me!"

"**Hmph."** Yosuke's Shadow smirked.** "Yeah, that's right…I am ME now. I'm not you anymore, see?"**

Yosuke stared at his Shadow, horrified when he noticed the dark aura emanating from the Shadow beginning to grow much darker. The aura soon engulfed him as blinding beams of light spewed dark waves of energy. Once the light waned, in the place of Yosuke's Shadow was a gigantic frog-like beast with a black body sticking out from its torso. The frog-like portion had a wide, V-shaped grin, green camouflage skin, and two glaring red eyes. The black figure sticking out from its back wore yellow gloves over its huge hands, had star-like eyes, and wore a red scarf around its neck.

"**I am a shadow…the true self…"** Shadow Yosuke's warped voice was threatening. **"I'll crush everything that bores me…starting with you!"**

A gloved, yellow hand shoots out towards Yosuke, who is paralyzed with fear. On instinct, Yu leaped out and tackled Yosuke out of the way, though just barely. Yu shook her head and held out her right hand. This was what Izanagi had been trying to warn her about…

"Persona!" Yu crushed the card in her hand.

Izanagi appeared in front of Yu and Yosuke, his weapon poised for battle. Shadow Yosuke scoffed at Izanagi and used his weight to cause a rather sharp shockwave.

"**Wind of Oblivion!"** Shadow Yosuke exclaimed.

The shockwave soon gained a windy addition to it. Izanagi shielded Yu and Yosuke out of instinct, but the second the windy shockwave came in contact with Izanagi, Yu felt a sharp pain coursing through her body.

"Aagh…"

Shadow Yosuke laughed maniacally. **"How long can you survive this? It's about time you get crushed!"**

The pain was almost paralyzing…and Yu could see that it wasn't just her who had been affected, but also Izanagi as well. Izanagi was struggling to stay on his two feet, but he managed to keep his ground. Within a few seconds, Izanagi recovered and quickly counterattacked Shadow Yosuke with his naginata.

"Be careful Sensei! This one's much stronger!" Teddie exclaimed.

Yu clenched her teeth and slowly managed to roll herself off of Yosuke. She gasped, trying to ignore the pain as she gently shook Yosuke. Yosuke responded by getting on all fours.

"Are you okay, Hanamura?" Yu asked through pained gasps.

"No…there's no way…that jerk could be me…" Yosuke was panting.

"But it originally existed inside your head, Yosuke…" Teddie said as he scurried over to them.

"No way!" Yosuke was practically crying by now.

Yu frowned. "Hanamura…agh!"

Yu felt another sharp pain course through her body. She turned her attention to Shadow Yosuke, who was currently laughing maniacally as he had Izanagi pinned underneath one of his forelegs. Yu was starting to have difficulty breathing…as did Izanagi.

"_No…no way…"_ Yu coughed.

"**I am thou…"**

"_Don't tell me…"_

"**And thou art I…"**

Yu coughed again. Those words that had been spoken to her had an actual meaning… She and Izanagi…they were literally part of each other. If Izanagi was hurt, she felt his pain and she assumed the same went for vice-versa.

"_I have to do something…but how?"_ Yu coughed again, her chest beginning to feel crushed. "Agh…"

"What's wrong, Sensei?" Teddie looked worried.

"Can't…breathe…" Yu could feel tears beginning to stream down her cheeks. "Trapped…"

Yosuke stared wide-eyed at Yu and then turned to Izanagi. "What's going on?"

"Izanagi and…I…we're one in the same…" Yu coughed. "If he gets hurt…I feel his pain…and the same goes for when I get hurt…help me…"

Yosuke looked around frantically for something…anything to get Izanagi free from his Shadow's grasp. "C'mon, Hanamura, think! What can you find in a liquor store that can be used as a—of course!"

Yosuke ran over to the shelves and grabbed a random bottle of alcohol. Then, he turned and ran towards his Shadow and threw the bottle with all his might at it. "Hope you like bourbon, you bastard!"

CRACK!

"**Aagh!"** Shadow Yosuke covered his star-like eyes, having just had a bottle of bourbon thrown and broken over his head. Yosuke's attack had proved effective in distracting his Shadow long enough for Izanagi to find an opening an escape.

"Yes!" Yosuke grinned widely and pumped his fist into the air.

Yu coughed a few times, inhaling sharply as fresh air filled her lungs. She could breathe again… She had to be more careful this time around. She couldn't just depend on Izanagi. Both of them had to work together…

Since Shadow Yosuke was still distracted, Yu decided it would be the best time for her to attack. She charged forward, her right hand formed into a fist that was ready to strike. She knew she was taking a risk, but anything was better than nothing at this point.

"Izanagi!" she yelled.

Izanagi raised his arm and a bolt of lightning came down upon Shadow Yosuke. The attack had a rather wanted effect for Yu. Shadow Yosuke slumped forward, his legs no longer working…he was weak to these sorts of attacks.

"Take this!" Yu jumped up and punched Shadow Yosuke's lower, frog-like body. It was a hard, solid hit…and her hand hurt after the impact, but Yu waved it off. She was more concerned with actually causing some damage to the Shadow. "Huh?"

Yu noticed her body was beginning to glow. She turned to Izanagi and noticed he was also glowing. "What's going on?"

"Rakukaja raised your defense!" Teddie called out. "Now you'll take less damage!"

Yu blinked a few times and nodded. Izanagi had purposely raised their defenses, for the sake of taking less damage from Shadow Yosuke. Assuming from the whole "Wind of Oblivion" encounter, Yu had a feeling she and Izanagi were weak to that sort of attack. The defense increase was much needed…

"**Heh, that's it…?"**

Very much so, now that Shadow Yosuke had recovered. Yu tightened her fists and held her ground as she found herself face to face with Shadow Yosuke.

"**Urgh—Pain in the ass!"** With a swipe of his hand, Shadow Yosuke sent Yu hurtling towards the shelves.

"Aagh!"

CRASH!

Izanagi turned to Yu, who currently surrounded by various broken bottles of alcohol.

"I'm okay…" Yu reassured as she carefully brushed away the broken glass. She licked her lips a few times when she felt a stinging pain on them. _"Must've busted my lip…urk!"_

The smell of alcohol was strong enough to nearly dull Yu's senses. Not only was she surrounded by it, but she was also drenched in it from head to toe. She was painfully aware of how some of it managed to make its way into her mouth. Her throat burned as she swallowed.

"Izanagi…" Yu choked out. "I'm okay, just go!"

Izanagi nodded and turned back to Shadow Yosuke. As Izanagi began attacking Shadow Yosuke, Yu busied herself by trying to get out of the mess she was in without cutting herself. Luckily, Yosuke decided to give her a hand.

"Dude, you reek of sake!" Yosuke covered his nose with his free hand as he tugged Yu off the ground.

"You try crashing into a shelf full of sake bottles…" Yu coughed. "How am I going to get back home without Dojima noticing? I'm underage and my uncle is a police detective…"

That alone was enough for Yu to earn a permanent bad reputation with Dojima…IF he found out.

"Forget that, what about that?!" Yosuke pointed at his Shadow.

Yu stared at Shadow Yosuke and scowled. "Give me a second…"

_Bam!_

Yosuke stared wide-eyed at Yu, his cheek now sporting a bruise. "What?"

Yu had just finished punching Yosuke right in the face. At that same time, Izanagi managed to punch Shadow Yosuke right in the face.

"This isn't just my battle…" Yu shook her hand. "This is also yours. May I remind you where that thing came from? I hoped that slapped some sense into you. Unless you want to die, you'll help me out again…so are you in…or out?"

"Ah…I…" Yosuke was at a loss for words. He thought about it for a moment and nodded. "What do I do?"

Yu wiped her eyes and shook herself. She was still drenched in alcohol… _"At least I didn't cut myself on the glass—wait a second, that's it!" _Yu looked at the unbroken bottles lined up on the other shelves. She recalled that Yosuke managed to free Izanagi by attacking his Shadow with a bottle of bourbon. If it worked once before…it will work again.

"Hanamura, gather all the bottles you can hold…" Yu rushed over to the shelves.

Yosuke blinked and nodded.

…

…

"**Wind of Oblivion!"**

"Shit!" Yu wasn't ready for the attack. Luckily, for her, Yosuke managed to sense her discomfort and shielded her with his body. For some reason, Yu couldn't feel the attack this time around…even though she KNEW the attack hit.

"You're lucky you're so short…" Yosuke muttered as he removed himself off of Yu. "Otherwise that would've proved difficult…I can't believe your weakness is wind…"

"How the hell did that not hurt you?" Yu was baffled.

Yosuke shrugged. "I dunno, it just felt a little forceful, but nothing much aside from that…now what do you want me to do with these bottles? Where do we start?"

Yu looked at Shadow Yosuke and narrowed her eyes. "Give me a second…Izanagi!"

_Zap!_

"All right, start throwing, Hanamura!" Yu exclaimed. "And Teddie, it would be great if you helped out, too!"

"What?!"

"You heard me you freakin' bear! Start throwin' them bottles! Moral support my ass! You'll help when I say you help!"

"Narukami, are you…drunk?"

"I dunno what you're talkin' bout, Hanamura! Stop talking and start throwing!"

Yosuke resisted the urge to face palm as he noticed a change in Yu's speech. _"Yeah, he's definitely drunk…definitely a lightweight…"_

"All right, take this!" Yu yelled as she threw a bottle at Shadow Yosuke's head. "That's for slamming me into the shelves, you big bastard…Argh!"

CRACK!

Yu cracked a bottle on the floor and rushed over to Shadow Yosuke. Using the bottle's broken end, she swiped at Shadow Yosuke's face. At that same time, Izanagi attacked with another bolt of lightning.

"The heck of a name is Zio? Does that mean lightning in a different language?" Yu kept swiping furiously.

"Attack again!" Teddie exclaimed. "He's almost down!"

Yu looked bleary-eyed at Shadow Yosuke. He was slumped on the ground, the V-shaped smile now turned upside down. There was not much left in him…so Yu decided to take up Teddie's suggestion. "Izanagi!"

With one last bolt of lightning from Izanagi, Shadow Yosuke let out a scream. **"DAMN YOU TO HELL!"**

Shadow Yosuke's scream echoed throughout the building as black and red smoke began to rise from his disintegrating body. Slowly, Shadow Yosuke returned to his original human form. He collapsed onto the ground in exhaustion and pain. Small cuts covered his face and hands, but what caught Yu's attention was the look in Shadow Yosuke's golden eyes. All the malice and contempt that had filled those eyes was replaced with loneliness, remorse even.

Yu couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for the Shadow. _"In the end…he probably felt just as isolated as Hanamura…"_

"Is everyone okay?" Teddie asked as he ran over to the group. He noticed that Yosuke was staring at his Shadow. "Yosuke, are you all right?"

"You…You're…not…" Yosuke began.

Teddie frowned. "Yosuke, that thing came from you…You have to admit it…or it'll go berserk again…"

"I know, but…" Yosuke seemed reluctant to accept it.

Yu walked over to Yosuke and placed her hands on his shoulders. "Hanamura…I know isolation hurts, but you're not alone anymore…"

Maybe now was the right time to open up…

"Before I came here to Inaba, I have always been pushing people away from me…"

Too afraid to make bonds…

"I had no friends…"

Those long nights spent home alone…

"…and my parents were never home…" Yu looked Yosuke right in the eye. "But things change and I have you as a friend…and Teddie, too. Sure, that thing's you, but you're still yourself…remember that."

Yosuke looked down. "Myself…dammit, it _hurts_ to face yourself…" Yosuke sighed and removed Yu's hands off his shoulders. He turned to his Shadow and walked over to him. "I knew it wasn't lying…But I was so ashamed that I didn't want to admit it…"

Yosuke knelt down by his Shadow's side and grasped his shoulder reassuringly. His Shadow looked up at him. Golden eyes met brown eyes.

"You're me…and I'm you," Yosuke continued. "When you get down to it, all of this is me."

At those words, Yosuke's Shadow smiled peacefully. He closed his eyes as a blue light began to emit from his body until it disappeared into light. The instant it did, another figure replaced the Shadow. The figure floated in the air, dressed in what seemed to be a white disco outfit. A long, red scarf was tied around its neck.

Yosuke was greeted with a wide, V-shaped grin, much like the one his Shadow's monstrous formed had, only this one was more…gentle. The figure disappeared, replaced by a glowing card that floated gently into Yosuke's outstretched hands. The card resembled Yu's own blue card, but with a noticeable difference.

"The Magician…" Yosuke remarked as the card disappeared into his being. "This is my Persona…Jiraiya." Yosuke slumped over, looking almost exhausted for some reason. "When we heard Senpai's voice…I wonder if that was something Senpai had been keeping deep down inside… Haha…'He was a real pain in the ass,' huh? What a way to find out… Geez, this is so embarrassing…"

Yu walked over to Yosuke. He looked up at her and smiled.

"If you weren't here, I don't know what woulda happened…thanks, Narukami…"

Yu smiled back and helped pulled Yosuke up. "Likewise…I don't know how I would have gotten your Shadow off Izanagi without you around…"

"Hey, Teddie…" Yosuke turned to Teddie. "Could Senpai have been attacked by her other self here? Like how it just happened to me?"

"I think so. The Shadows here were originally born from humans. Sometimes the fog clears. Then they all go berserk… And you saw what happens next. A strong-willed Shadow draws others to it. And the big mass of Shadows kills the host."

"That's…horrible…" Yu couldn't believe it.

"So that's why people die when it gets foggy in our world…" Yosuke grimaced.

"Yosuke's pretty worn out…" Teddie frowned. "This world isn't made for humans. It's not comfortable for you here. I don't hear any more voices. I think we're done with this place. Let's go back."

Yosuke shook his head. "Before that…let me give you one punch, Narukami."

Yu blinked. "Huh?"

Yosuke looked at Yu and smiled as he rubbed his cheek. "Since that really hurt, all right? I took all that pain after all…It just isn't fair."

"_That Shadow actually caused more pain to me than him…"_ Yu made a face. "No."

"What?!"

Yu looked Yosuke right in the eye. "If you want to punch me, then let it be mutual."

"Heh…" Yosuke started laughing. _"I really…like this guy…"_

…

…

Yosuke and Yu stared at each other as they stood a good distance apart. They were settling things with each other, with Teddie keeping an eye out for any nearby Shadows.

"Give me all you got!" Yosuke exclaimed as he summoned Jiraiya. Jiraiya was armed with shuriken in each hand, ready for anything at the moment.

"Certainly!" Yu adjusted her glasses as Izanagi raised his weapon, ready to strike.

Yosuke grinned widely and charged. "Here I come!"

Sparks flew when Izanagi's blade and Jiraiya's shuriken clashed with each other. As this went on, Yu and Yosuke, themselves, had also clashed with each other. Yosuke had a feeling he might have gone a bit overboard with his suggestion when he punched Yu right in the face. However, the moment Yu's fist connected with his cheek made him think otherwise.

"Why you gotta be so hard?" Yu removed her fist and started rubbing her cheek.

Yosuke did the same. "I can ask you the same…ow…"

"D'ya feel any better?" Yu asked as she smiled lazily, laughing afterwards. "Because I certainly do! Ahaha…"

Yosuke arched his brow at Yu. "Are you okay, Narukami…?"

"I'm perfectly fine, Hanamura!" Yu rubbed the back of her head. "It's just this reminds me a lot of middle school! Ahaha…"

Yosuke looked questioningly at Yu. "What do you mean?"

"Did you know your Persona looks like a disco ninja frog?" Yu asked as she stumbled back. "It's kinda cool!"

…

"Did you get into the liquor again?"

"The bottle was half empty and I thought it would be waste of sake!"

Yosuke face palmed. "Of course…"

"Sake…Saki? Ahaha…Sake-Saki!"

_Thud!_

Teddie looked at Yu as she laid face flat on the ground. "I think Sensei's out of it…"

"Nah, ya think?" Yosuke just recalled that aside from being drunk, Yu still smelled like sake. "How the hell am I going to get him home?"

…

…

* * *

A/N End of chapter. And so the plot finally kicks in! Yeah, took me long enough, but here you go! And bonus points, it's a LONG chapter! :D I am obviously spoiling you guys, but I love this story so much…

When it comes to battles, I decided to combine the game and anime. Personae stay out as long as they are needed, but weapons are still useful. I mean, they still can help in the long run, as we have seen with the golf club.

And of course, Yu gets drunk, but hey! They are fighting inside a liquor store! I am not going to pass that up…the same goes for Hiimdaisy references. See if you can point them out!

Also, only four chapters in and already, 17 reviews, 2,341 hits, 21 favorites, and 33 story alerts…? You guys are awesome! Ahem, anyways, hope you enjoyed this chapter! ^^

Review if you wish! I like to hear from the readers every now and then. Just NO FLAMES…and constructive criticism is always welcomed because it helps! I'll try to get the next chapter up soon! Until then, KD out!


	6. Social Link, GO!

_Bam!_

A small bead of sweat rolled down the side of Yosuke's face when he found himself staring at a very familiar pair of legs that belonged to a certain kung-fu-loving girl. He was currently sprawled onto the floor with a very intoxicated Yu on his back. Just as he thought things couldn't get any more awkward, he felt Yu's breath beginning to tickle his neck.

"_That's just wrong…"_ Yosuke thought as he grimaced. His nose wrinkled in disgust when he managed to smell the sake off of Yu's breath. "Dude, you reek…"

"Y-You guys came baaack…!"

Yosuke blinked and directed his eyes on Chie, who was currently crying. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she gripped the bundle of rope in her hands. Yosuke clenched his teeth when he remembered what had happened…the rope had snapped and poor Chie had most likely been worried sick about him and Yu. Though, just as he was about to apologize to Chie, she threw the rest of the rope right into his face.

SMACK!

"You idiots!" Chie exclaimed as she sobbed. "The rope snapped and I had no idea what to do! I was worried sick! You guys suck! Uwaah…"

A small bead of sweat rolled down the side of Yosuke's face. "S-Sorry, Satonaka…"

Yosuke felt Yu stir. "Ah, I'm sorry…don't cry…"

Chie sniffed. "What's wrong with Narukami? Why does he smell…?"

Yosuke got off the ground with Yu on his back. "Narukami decided that, even though he was underage, that leaving a half bottle of sake alone was a waste…oh, and he crashed into a shelf full of sake bottles."

"What happened?"

Yosuke made a face. "Long story…look, I'll make it up to you…"

"Ten orders of beefsteak…" Chie said simply.

"Huh? Say that again?" Did Yosuke hear that correctly?

"Ten orders of steak…" Chie repeated, much more firmly.

Yosuke looked nervously. "F-Fine…you're helping me out, Narukami."

"I'm helping…?" Yu sounded confused.

"He's getting me nikudon," Chie said as she wiped her eyes with her sleeves.

"You got it…mah, I'm hungry, now…" Yu said in a rather whiny tone. "I want some nikudon, too!"

Yosuke sweat dropped. "Look, Satonaka, I'll buy you some of that meat gum you like in the meantime, right now, I need you to help me out."

"With what?" Chie blinked.

"Haven't you noticed?" Yosuke scowled. "Narukami's drunk off his ass! And not only that, he's underage and his uncle works with the Inaba Police Department! If we don't help him out, he's screwed…"

Chie blinked again. "Oh, right…oh, crap!"

"Exactly…not only that, but he reeks of sake…" Yosuke wrinkled his nose.

"I've noticed…" Chie covered her nose. "So how are we going to get him out of this…?"

"I have a plan…and it involves sneaking this guy into the liquor department—"

"But he's already drunk enough as is! How is more liquor going to help him out?"

"I'm getting to that, Satonaka!" Yosuke snapped at Chie. "Look, I heard that some of the aisles were going to be mopped and if we're lucky, it's the aisle that has sake…"

"Oh, I see where you're going! So how many packs of meat gum are you going to buy me?" Chie grinned widely at Yosuke.

A small bead of sweat rolled down the side of Yosuke's face. "Uh…"

…

…

Within the next twenty minutes, Yosuke and Chie had miraculously snuck an intoxicated teenager into the liquor department without being discovered by anyone. Chie kept a close eye out for any employees wandering about. Once she made sure the coast was clear, she carefully made her way over to Yosuke, who was trying to keep Yu standing on her two feet in front of a shelf full of lined up sake bottles. Yu laughed, blissfully ignorant of what was to come.

"Now…" Chie said as she pushed Yu backwards into the shelf.

"Aagh!"

CRASH!

"Oh, my god!" Chie exclaimed rather loudly. "Are you okay?"

Meanwhile with Yosuke, he quickly grabbed the wet floor sign at one end of the aisle and placed the sign in another aisle, one in particular that had not had its floors mopped. _"Please let this work, please let this work…"_

By the time the nearest Junes employee had arrived at the scene, Yu was, once again, drenched in sake. Nearly all of the bottles had been broken, save for a few. What surprised Yosuke the most was the fact that the Junes employee wasn't just any employee, but rather, the manager of Junes.

"Dad?" Yosuke practically exclaimed. "What are you doing here?!"

Yosuke's father looked nervously at Yosuke. "I was just checking up on some things! What happened?!"

…

Later at the Junes Employee Lounge Room,

…

Yu laughed as she popped open a can of TaP soda. As she drank from her can of soda, Yosuke and his father had a bit of a discussion with each other. It was rather awkward for Yosuke, considering he was talking to his father about something he caused and lying about it.

Yosuke's father arched his brow at Yosuke. "So let me get this straight…He doesn't want any compensation for the fact we failed to put up a caution sign on those wet floors…he just wants a job."

"Pretty much…" Yosuke was growing nervous under the watchful stare of his father. _"Please let it work…please let it work…"_

…

…

"All right, then! If it means he won't press charges, tell him to come over tomorrow so we can discuss when he can start—is he okay?" Yosuke's father looked questioningly at Yu, who was swaying left to right as she sat on the sofa.

Yosuke face palmed. "I don't know anymore…what are your thoughts, Narukami?"

"Nooses are bad!"

"Yeah, he's definitely drunk…" Yosuke sighed, shaking his head.

Yosuke's father crossed his arms. "I'm not surprised, given his height and build…does that kid even eat?"

"I look at Satonaka and ask a similar question…where does she put all that food she eats." Yosuke had seen kung-fu-obsessed carnivore finish off a Mega Beef Bowl once…and she was still hungry for more. Of course, she wasn't unable to finish off the second one, but the fact that she finished the first was shocking enough as is.

"Speaking of food, I suggest you get your friend something to eat…" Yosuke's father said as he walked over to Yu. "Preferably, something with meat…"

"Can I have nikudon, Hanamura?" Yu asked as she looked up at Yosuke's father. She made a face. "Did you cut your hair? You look different…"

Yosuke's father chuckled. "I see you've noticed the Hanamura family resemblance…"

Yosuke's father indeed looked like an older version of Yosuke, though he was slightly taller than his son and his hair was a darker shade of brown. "I'm Hansuke Hanamura, Yosuke's father…and you are?"

Yu was having a hard time processing the question she had just been asked. It took her almost a minute before she finally said, "Yu Narukami…can I have my nikudon now?"

Hansuke chuckled. "You heard him Yosuke! Get to it!"

Yosuke nodded. "Anything else?"

"Yeah, get him out of those clothes, he reeks of sake," Hansuke replied. "I'm giving you permission to take him to our place. He can spend the night if he wants, but just make sure you help him out."

"What about you?"

"I'm going to check out how much damage your friend's little accident caused…" Hansuke rubbed the back of his head. "All I can say is that Junes is out of sake until the next shipment comes at the end of this month."

And until that day came, the Konishi liquor store profited off of that accident Yosuke and Chie initiated like no tomorrow.

…

…

The Hanamura residence looked like any normal home in Inaba, except bigger. The interior of the house looked almost as normal, only slightly expensive by Yu's standards. Though, given her current intoxicated state, her standards were rather random…

"Your house is freaking huuuuuge!" Yu exclaimed.

"Keep it down, Narukami…you're yelling into my ear…"

"Ah, sorry…" Yu frowned.

Yosuke shook his head and made his way up the stairs. He was still carrying Yu on his back and while the way back to his home wasn't too far, it was still raining outside and now both he and Yu were drenched from the rain.

"_This is getting out of hand…"_ Yosuke sighed and shook his head. "The things I do for you…"

"Thank you, Hanamura…" Yu said softly.

Yosuke stopped walking and blinked, smiling afterwards. "No problem, Partner."

"Heh, you called me Partner! Does that mean we're friends?"

"Weren't we already friends?"

"Yay!"

…

…

Yu looked up at the ceiling moments after Yosuke laid her onto his futon. "Why am I in your room?"

"I'm going to get the bath ready…try not to break anything while I'm gone…" Yosuke replied as he made his way to the door.

Yu blinked and noticed something was off about where she was on the futon. After some messing around, she pulled out a magazine under the futon. "Hey, Hanamura, what's this magazine about? Oh, nurses…"

Yosuke immediately ran over to Yu and pulled the magazine out of her hands. "T-That's none of your concern."

Yu blinked and laughed at Yosuke. "Haha, your face is red!"

Yosuke's face burned red as he threw the magazine into a random drawer in his dresser. _"Remind me to look under your futon…"_

…

…

"Dude, wake up…" Yosuke gently shook Yu.

Yu opened her eyes. "Hmm…where are we?"

"Bathroom…bath's ready," Yosuke replied. "There's a change of clothes on the sink…do you need any help or can you do it by yourself?"

Yu blinked a few times and scowled. "I can do it myself! Now get out!"

"Huh—wait, waugh!"

THUD!

Yosuke had fallen face flat on the floor, having just been pushed out of the bathroom by Yu. Yu had just closed the bathroom door by the time Yosuke got off the floor.

"Oi, what was that for?!" Yosuke was slightly annoyed. He glared at the closed door, resisting the urge to pound it.

"I might be drunk, but that doesn't mean I can't do anything!" Yu practically yelled.

"You couldn't even walk a few steps without landing flat on your face!"

"Well…hey, hey, hey…guess what?"

"What?"

"Fuck you!" Yu had never sounded so blunt.

Yosuke's left eye twitched. "No, fuck you!"

"Fuck yoooou!"

"Okay, this is getting out of hand!" Yosuke just remembered Yu was intoxicated. "Sorry, Narukami…"

"…Sorry Hanamura…" Yu sounded genuinely guilty.

…

…

"_This is getting awkward…"_ Yosuke sighed as a small bead of sweat rolled down the side of his face. "Look, Narukami, I'll talk to you later. I'm gonna go take a shower in the other bathroom."

"Wait, how come I get the bath and you get the shower?"

…

…

Yosuke face palmed. _"I did not think about that… On one hand, he could slip in the shower…on the other, he could drown in the bath—yeah, no."_

Yosuke grabbed the doorknob and turned, _somewhat_ surprised that Yu forgot to lock the door. When he pushed open the door, Yosuke found himself staring at Yu with a completely unbutton shirt.

Yu stared at Yosuke and scowled. "Doesn't anyone knock?!"

Yosuke didn't respond. He was too busy staring at the white bandages wrapped around Yu's chest. He had almost forgotten about them. "Seriously, are you okay? What happened?"

Yu diverted her gaze. "I…got attacked…it hurt a lot…"

"When?"

"…Before Inaba…" Yu sniffed and rubbed her eyes. "I don't wanna talk about it…waah…"

Yosuke decided to drop the subject as it seemed rather personal. "Do you need anything?"

"Nikudon…"

…

…

"_That definitely killed the mood, there…" _Yosuke sighed. "All right, but after you shower…you still reek."

"It was your fault…" Yu pouted.

"Who was the one who thought leaving a half empty bottle of sake would be a waste?"

"…Shut up."

…

…

Yu was sprawled over the sofa in the living room by the time Yosuke was out of the bathroom. She was now wearing clean clothes, courtesy of Yosuke. They fit her rather big, but it didn't bother her at all since clothing was clothing.

The flat screen television was on and Yu was channel surfing, having found the remote not too long ago. By chance, Yu came upon a Junes commercial when Yosuke came down the stairs.

"Every day's great at your Junes!" Yu sang along with the commercial.

Yosuke made a face at Yu for singing the Junes jingle. "Narukami…"

Yu turned to Yosuke and grinned widely. "Nana-chan loves Junes! She says she's the best in her class at singing the Junes jingle! Isn't that adorable?"

Yosuke arched his brow. "Nana-chan?"

Yu's expression suddenly turned somber. "I left her home alone in the house…she's probably waiting for me to come and make her omurice…"

Yosuke took a step back as a small bead of sweat rolled down the side of his face. Yu's eyes were glistening with unshed tears. "Hey, Narukami…don't cry…"

Yu did the opposite of what Yosuke told her not to do…she started crying. "Uwaaaah, I'm a terrible cousin! I promised to make her omurice…wah…she's probably home alone again and it's all my fault because I'm here!"

Yosuke looked nervously at Yu as she continued to cry. "Uh…Narukami…would you like me to bring her over?"

Yu immediately stopped crying and smiled. "You'd do that? Yay!"

"I might as well go get something from Aiya's on the way back…" Yosuke sighed as he rubbed the back of his head. "Just don't break anything while I'm gone."

It was a good thing that Yosuke already knew where Yu lived, because Yu had just passed out on the sofa.

…

…

Nanako had been slightly wary of Yosuke when she opened the door. She didn't know him, but she saw him with Yu the other day…he was Yu's friend. Any friend of Yu wasn't exactly a stranger, which is why Nanako opened the door for Yosuke.

"Uh…is your father home?" Yosuke couldn't help but ask. He needed to confirm if Nanako was truly home alone.

Nanako looked down. "Dad's late…"

"_And there it is…"_ Yosuke rubbed the back of his head. "Well, Narukami couldn't make it home…he's spending the night at my house."

Nanako frowned. "Why?"

"There was an accident at Junes and…well, do you want to come over and spend the night as well?" Yosuke crossed his arms. "Narukami doesn't want you being home alone."

"…Okay…" Nanako said quietly.

Yosuke smiled. "Great, go get your things. By the way, do you mind if we have Aiya's for dinner?"

…

…

Yosuke, Yu, and Nanako were eating take-out from Aiya's in the living room. Yu had finally gotten her nikudon and actually seemed to be sobering up, much to Yosuke's immense relief. The news was on, so the three were paying close attention to today's news.

"_**Our next story is an update in our ongoing report on the bizarre murders occurring in Inaba. At around 7:00 AM, local high school student Saki Konishi was found dead in Inaba's residential area."**_

Yosuke stopped eating almost immediately. He found it hard to swallow and almost choked when he did so. Yu handed him an opened can of Orange Smash and Yosuke immediately downed it.

"_**Since the body was positioned similarly to the last victim, and since Konishi was the one who discovered that body…"**_

"Are you okay?" Nanako asked Yosuke.

Yosuke responded with a single nod. In reality, he wasn't okay…Saki Konishi was dead and it hurt to have the fact brought up.

"_**Police are proceeding under the assumption that this may be a serial murder case related to the death of Mayumi Yamano. The coroner's report has established Konishi's time of death at around 1:00 AM last night. The body went unnoticed until this morning as a result of the heavy fog blanketing the area."**_

Nanako sighed. "Dad won't be coming home tonight…"

Yu turned to Nanako and smiled as she embraced her younger cousin. "I'll be here with you!"

Nanako laughed. "Haha, you're acting funny!"

Yu had never been this outwardly affectionate, so it wasn't that surprising for Nanako to find it weird. Yosuke, on the other hand, was starting to inwardly freak out…

"_Please don't say something stupid…please don't say something stupid…"_ Yosuke repeated the phrase over and over in his mind.

"Did you know that Hanamura is the son of the manager of Junes?" Yu asked as she propped her head on top of Nanako's head.

Nanako looked at Yosuke in awe. "Really?"

Yosuke blinked. "That's…okay?"

"What's it like being the manager's son?" Nanako asked Yosuke eagerly.

Yosuke was speechless. While he knew the answer to Nanako's question, he knew it wasn't the answer she was expecting…because it was much more complex than that. A six-year-old like Nanako wouldn't understand what he had gone through…and he wouldn't wish to push his difficulties on her. He decided to be ambiguous, but honest, with his answer.

"It's complicated," he replied.

"Really?"

"Y-Yeah…" Yosuke was rather nervous, considering the stare Yu was giving him. _"How did everything turn out like this? Last time I ever let him drink…"_

Though, that was a given because Yosuke wanted to avoid a scenario similar to today's. The only reason Yosuke pulled through with it was because Yu helped him when he needed help the most. It was his turn to do the same…

"_**Amagi Inn, located upstream of Samegawa River, is the town's oldest historical landmark."**_

"Hey, it's the inn Amagi-san's family runs…" Yu remarked.

"_**Vacationers are known to travel surprising distances in order to visit its open-air, radium-rich hot springs."**_

Yu made a face when a certain reporter appeared. "_You_…"

"Ah, so you also hold some sort of resentment towards him…" Yosuke remarked. "I wonder what this idiot's going to do this time…"

Nanako blinked owlishly. "Huh?"

"_**After the incident with Yamano, the manager has stepped aside, leaving her daughter Yukiko to fill her shoes."**_

Yukiko appeared on the television. She was wearing a pink kimono and was trying her best to ignore the camera was focused on her. She was visibly disturbed by the attention.

"_**In other words, she's a manager who's still in high school. Now that has a nice ring to it… Let's see if we can interview her. Excuse me!"**_

"No, run, Amagi-san, run!" Yu suddenly exclaimed.

"_**Hm…? Um…Are you speaking to me?"**_

Yosuke sighed. "Too late…she's been caught."

"No…" Yu inwardly cried. "Now that idiot's gonna do what he did to Konishi-senpai…"

"_**We've heard that you're the new manager. Is it true you're still in high school?"**_

"_**Oh, well, I'm only filling in temporarily…"**_

"I wouldn't mind Satonaka giving that reporter a taste of the pain I have felt from her…"

"Critical hit to the nads?"

"Critical hit to the nads."

"What's that?"

"Nothing you should be worried about, Nanako," Yu reassured as she nuzzled Nanako.

"_**Someday, though… That aside, wow! You're looking gorgeous in that kimono. You must have had a lot of male visitors."**_

"Bad touch!" Yu exclaimed.

Nanako made a face. "He's creepy…"

"Why haven't they fired that reporter?" Yosuke was rather angry with the reporter for making Yukiko uncomfortable. He had a feeling Chie was like him at the moment, only with much more intense rage. He could already imagine her raging at the television.

"_**Huh? No, um…"**_

The reporter's rambling went further and further off subject. By now, neither of the three wanted to watch the news.

"This is boring…" was the phrase that came out of Nanako's mouth that motivated Yosuke to change the channel.

…

…

Yosuke sighed as he stared at Yu and Nanako sleeping in the same futon next to his. He had just woken up for some unknown reason and couldn't go back to sleep. He turned his gaze to the clock in his room and noticed that it was almost midnight. It was still raining outside…

"_I should wake Narukami up…"_ Yosuke needed Yu for this. He crawled over to Yu's futon and gently shook her shoulder. "Hey, Narukami…"

"Hmm…not now, Nanako…"

"Narukami!" Yosuke said in a somewhat loud whisper.

Yu opened her eyes and sat up slowly. She rubbed her eyes and yawned. "What is it, Hanamura?"

"It's almost midnight…" Yosuke gestured at his television in the corner of his room.

Yu looked bleary-eyed at Yosuke. "…What about Nanako?"

"She's still asleep…"

"What if she wakes up?"

"Tell her it's a dream, now let's move a little closer…"

"I dun wanna…" Yu said sluggishly. "Can I go back to sleep?"

Yosuke grabbed onto Yu's arm and dragged her along with him towards the television. "We're watching it…"

"Fine…"

…

…

It seemed that as long as the conditions were met, Yu and Yosuke could keep seeing the image on the television as long as they wanted. This time, the image was of a long, black-haired young woman in a kimono.

"Is that Sadako? She's not gonna come crawling out of the TV, is she?"

"No, Narukami, it's just some woman in a kimono…"

"I wonder what would happen if I touched your TV…"

"Narukami, no!"

"Whoopsies!" Yu laughed quietly as she inserted her hand into the television. "Ehehe, in goes hand, out goes hand, in goes hand, out goes hand, in goes hand…"

Yosuke grabbed Yu's arm. "Please stop that?"

Yu looked at Yosuke. "Why don't you try it, Hanamura?"

"I'll do it if you take your hand out…"

"…Okay, there…now do it."

Yosuke looked at Yu with disbelief. "Like it's going to make a difference—what the hell?!"

"Shhh! You'll wake Nanako up…"

"My hand's in the freaking TV screen…" Yosuke stared wide-eyed at the scene. "What…the fuck…?"

Yu stared blankly at Yosuke. "You get used to it after the first time—aw, it's gone!"

The image on the television disappeared, leaving the screen blank. Yosuke pulled out his hand and looked it over for anything that was wrong. His hand was fine, much to his relief.

"D'ya think that woman was Amagi-san?" Yu asked as she rubbed her eye.

Yosuke shrugged. "I dunno…go back to sleep…"

"Yay…"

* * *

…

…

_Yu opened her eyes and found herself in a very familiar place with a very familiar blonde-haired woman and a very familiar long-nosed man. She was in the Velvet Room…_

"_Welcome," Igor greeted Yu._

"_**Goddammit…"**__ A small bead of sweat rolled down the side of Yu's face._

"_Do not be alarmed. You are fast asleep in the real world…"_

"_**That's spooky…you're spooky…"**__ Yu swallowed hard._

"_I have summoned you within your dreams."_

"_**That is really spooky…"**__ Yu wanted out of this, but it appeared she had been summoned._

"_And so we meet again."_

_Margaret finally spoke. "This is a space that only those who have, in one way or another, entered into a contract may enter."_

_Yu tried to make sense of what Margaret had just said, but it just wouldn't process. She had a feeling the sake was still in her system. If that were the case, then it would explain her inability to sit up straight without swaying left to right._

"_In your daily life, you subconsciously heard the call to awaken, and you chose to follow the destiny of your inner voice…"_

"_**It was either that or die…"**__ Yu would prefer it if she __**lived**__._

"…_thereby enacting your glorious awakening to your power," Margaret finished._

"_Hold on to this," Igor said._

_Yu blinked as a blue key appeared in front of her. She reached out and grabbed onto the blue key._

"_From this night forth, you are our guest in this Velvet Room." Igor's grin seemed to widen. "Your destiny will require you to hone your power, and for that, you will inevitably require our help. There is but one price for this assistance…"_

"_**Kinda figured there'd be a catch…"**__ Yu sighed._

"_You must abide by your contract and assume responsibility for all decisions you may make."_

_Yu looked at Igor and nodded. "I understand…"_

"_Very well… The Persona you have acquired…it is __a side of you that shows itself when you face the world around you. Perhaps you can think of it as… a façade of determination you wear to face various difficulties in life. Your Persona ability, however, is that of the wild card. . . Compared to that of others, it is very special. It is like the number zero… empty, yet holding infinite potential within itself."_

"_**That was the most positive comparison using the number zero…"**__ Yu thought as she listened intently. "Wait, special?"_

"_The Persona ability is the power to control one's own heart… And the heart is strengthened through bonds. As you form bonds by becoming involved with others, your own Social Links will gradually develop. The power of these Social Links is what will determine your Persona's abilities."_

"_Control one's heart?" Yu was getting the gist of what Igor was explaining to her, though she still had some difficulty._

"_Social Links are necessary for more than strengthening your Persona." Margaret stepped in for Igor. "At times, they will help light the way to the truth you are searching for."_

"_Where will your awakened power of the wild card take you…?" Igor looked curiously at Yu. "I look forward to traveling the road of your destiny together… 'Til we meet again…"_

_Yu's view of the Velvet Room began to fade as she lost consciousness._

…

…

* * *

When Yosuke woke up, it was rather early in the morning. He was surprised to see Yu and Nanako sleeping in the futon right next to him, but then he recalled yesterday's events. That still didn't stop him from appreciating the cuteness factor that Yu and Nanako created as they slept together.

"_Those two…"_ Yosuke smiled. _"I should probably get started on making Narukami some coffee and toast…maybe I should get the water and medication ready, first."_

Because when Yu woke up, she was going to be experiencing a lot of pain. Some thirty minutes later, Yu woke up with a splitting headache. Yosuke was there with a glass of water and aspirin.

"What the hell…did I do last night?" Yu asked as she clutched her head.

"I see you're experiencing your first hangover…" Yosuke handed Yu the glass of water and aspirin. "Hopefully, this discourages you from drinking again…"

"I'm not making any promises…" Yu remarked as she downed the aspirin.

Yosuke sighed. "Well, I tried…c'mon, wake Nanako up. Breakfast is ready…"

"You made breakfast?" Yu blinked.

Yosuke rubbed the back of his head. "Y-Yeah, I'm not a professional at cooking, but I'm at least decent enough to make edible food…do you make breakfast?"

Yu nodded. "Yeah…"

"So…you need any help getting your cousin off of you? She's looking rather comfy, there."

A small bead of sweat rolled down the side of Yu's face. Yu just remembered she wasn't wearing anything underneath her shirt… "Hey, do you know what happened to my uniform?"

"I'm washing it again…it still reeks of sake," Yosuke replied. "I'll let you borrow one of my uniforms in the meantime…by the way, do you still need the bandages?"

"…Yes…"

"I'll look for the first-aid kit…"

"Thank you…"

"No problem, Partner."

…

…

Sometime after breakfast, Yosuke and Yu walked Nanako to her school before going on their separate ways to Yasogami High. It had stopped raining, but the sky was cloudy. Yu was rolling up the sleeves of the Yasogami High jacket that Yosuke had lent her along with his uniform. Yosuke didn't fail to poke fun at her small height and slim build, which Yu decided to just ignore.

"Anyways, you saw what was one last night, right?" Yosuke asked Yu.

"Were we watching _The Ring_?" Yu made a face. "I mean, long black hair—"

"What? No!"

"Well, you gotta admit the woman on TV looked like Sadako." Yu crossed her arms.

Yosuke shook his head. "Okay, I'll give you that…anyways, we can't ignore it. We should probably check it out after school. Maybe Teddie can tell us something…"

Yosuke paused for a moment and looked away from Yu. His thoughts were focused on yesterday's events, ignoring the part where Yu got drunk.

"If it turns out someone was thrown in again, there really might be a culprit behind all this… Even if it is something about that place that's killing the victims…If someone's using that world as a weapon, that's unforgiveable. We need to find the culprit…no matter what it takes!"

Yu was stunned with Yosuke's determination. "That's right…"

"There's no way the police can do it…" Yosuke said. "Who'd believe that the murderer kills people by throwing them into the TV?"

"I want to keep my word, too…" Yu remembered the promise she and Yosuke made to Teddie.

Yosuke smiled in his usual one-eye-opened manner. "Totally! A promise is a promise…I can't believe my hand went through the TV last night…how could you be so calm?"

Yu waved it off. "I told you…you get used to it after the first time…or is it the second? I dunno, might have been the sake still in my system…"

"Yeah, stay away from the sake…" Yosuke was serious about that. "Anyways, I think I can do that now because I have the same power…Persona, wasn't it? Could be that we got this gift from someone specifically so we could solve the case."

"That does sound plausible…"

"Then again, you managed to go inside the TV and get your Persona first…Izanagi, was it?" Yosuke looked at Yu questioningly.

"Yeah, that's him…" Yu blinked and grinned. "The Persona Disco Ninja Frog…I called Jiraiya that, didn't I?"

"Yeah, then you went on about 'sake-Saki' before passing out…seriously, don't do that again…" Yosuke was still surprised his plan involving the accident in the liquor department actually worked. "Let's change the subject…"

"Okay…"

…

…

Yosuke suddenly stopped walking, causing Yu to stop in turn. She turned to him and noticed the expression on his face. He was giving her the usual "Hanamura" smile. "Narukami, I feel like, as long as you're with me, I can find the culprit and crack this case. Well, let's do our best!"

Yosuke held out his hand to Yu. Yu looked at Yosuke's hand and smiled as she took his hand. Even with so much mystery swirling around, Yosuke was trying his hardest to move on… Yu could feel a faint stirring of friendship between her and Yosuke.

Time seemed to stop at that very moment. Yu could hear the resonating sounds of heartbeats as something stirred within the back of her mind. She recognized one of the heartbeats as her own, but soon realized it wasn't just her own heart that was beating, but also Yosuke's.

_Smash!_

Yu blinked as a blue card appeared before her eyes. The back of the card looked a lot like the one she had, but as soon as it flipped over, Yu noticed the difference between it and hers. The image on the card was of a person gazing into flame they held in their hands. There was a roman numeral on it of the number one. Yu's eyes widened as a voice echoed in her mind.

"**Thou art I… And I am thou…**

**Thou hast established a new bond…**

**It brings thee closer to the truth…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating**

**Personas of the Magician Arcana…"**

The card disappeared into a blue light that entered Yu's chest. She could feel the power inside her heart strengthening from the bond she had officially established with Yosuke. It felt warm…comforting, even. Yu wondered if this was the bond Igor had been talking about to her last night. His words echoed in her mind.

"_The Persona ability is the power to control one's own heart… And the heart is strengthened through bonds. As you form bonds by becoming involved with others, your own Social Links will gradually develop. The power of these Social Links is what will determine your Persona's abilities."_

All those years she had spent pushing people away because she was too afraid to make bonds had finally ended with today with Yosuke Hanamura of the Magician Arcana, her very first Social Link.

* * *

…

…

A/N End of chapter. Drunk Yu is drunk, yo! And of course, you guys noticed how I brought Yosuke's father into this…well, say hello to Hansuke Hanamura! Might as well be considered an OC, I dunno, but I'm the type of person who tends to include characters that are usually just mentioned when given the chance.

Let me just give the rundown on Hansuke…he's Yosuke's father and looks like an older version of his son with dark brown hair. The reason I chose the name Hansuke is the meaning for it as it means, "Helpful friend" in Japanese. Yosuke means "To give help", so I looked for names similar to that name and meaning, which is where I got Hansuke. I do my research when I want to, which is usually most of the time.

I bet none of you guys was expecting things to turn out like this, right? This is where I can say originality/creativity has finally punched this story. Expect more punches as the story progresses. Thanks to mah good friend, **ChibiFoxAI**, a lot of things have happened and ideas were thought of to add to this story.

As far as I can tell you guys, everyone still thinks Yu is male. Yosuke can be dense, but considering the actual purpose bandages have, which is usually related to injuries, Yosuke has a justifiable reason for connecting the bandages with an injury instead of the obvious. While it may be obvious to us, you gotta remember how dramatic irony works. Praise be to Shakespeare for teaching us dramatic irony! Blegh, I hate _Romeo and Juliet_…I like _King Lear_, though…and _Much Ado About Nothing_.

Moving on, as you can see, a lot of build up between Yosuke and Yu…welp, gotta find a way to establish certain Social Links, especially since Yosuke is the Magician who comes right after the Fool. Yosuke is your first Social Link, so I wanted to make it stand out and this is how I did it…gotta say, drunk Yu is fun to write, especially with Yosuke around since Yosuke discards the immaturity he has for seriousness (The Magician is also associated with immaturity).

Let's start with something that could help with the understanding of the Major Arcana…and a bit of a heads up, each representation can vary from one tarot reading to another. Just keep in mind the main idea of what each Arcana represents as well as how else it can be associated with.

**I- The Magician**

**The Magician represents consciousness, action and creation. He's the symbol for the idea of manifestation—the possibility of making an idea come true. He gives meaning and direction to life, and he reminds us that the emotional and creative powers of our souls must have a physical basis to be of real use. Powers unused are powers nonexistent, we have to set them free in order to use them, and to gain and renew.**

The Magician is a person of new opportunities and ambition (Number one). The Magician has incredible willpower, but is often overcome by his emotions. In tarot readings, the Magician Arcana is commonly associated with action, initiative, self-confidence, manipulation and power (more specifically, the power to harness one's talents).

The reversed Magician represents one with power, who is cruel and misuses that power…the abuse of power, a negative aspect of the Magician Arcana. Others include trickery, deception, lack of compassion, and indecision.

That was your Major Arcana lesson of the day. There will be more to come with each Social Link that is introduced because I like explaining the meaning of each Major Arcana. It's just…helps you look closely at what is being shown in a Social Link.

There is no journal entry in this chapter, and a bit of a shout out to anonymous reviewer, **Grimsley** (you remind me of Unova's Elite Four member, Grimsley), for being reviewer #20. And another to **Horseman Death** (could've sworn it was **Horseman of Death** sometime ago…), for being reviewer #30! Thanks a lot you guys for the reviews, favorites, and story alerts! ^^

It means a lot when I know people read this story and like it. So keep at it if you wish! Review if you wish, just don't flame me! Constructive criticism is always welcomed and, again, I just like hearing from the readers.

That's it for this chapter and I will give all of you guys a heads up. I'm leaving March 21, 2013, that's four days from now, for Europe! KD be going to England, France, and Amsterdam for the next ten days! That's the entirety of my spring break and some more. So, there might be a chance you won't get an update until I come back in April…

Again, this is because it's not a trip with the family, but a school. It's a traveling club of sorts and when I was the only one who stayed in my school's travel club, I got placed in a different group so all that fundraising I did wouldn't be a waste. I got lucky because my school's club wanted Spain and France, but the other school chose England and France and decided to take up the extension pack and go to Amsterdam. I wanted to go to England, so this a huge plus for me! :3

Yeah, so considering my situation, I won't have much access to my laptop (which I will be taking) and the internet…I doubt I'll have access to that. But yeah, I'm just telling you guys that you might not get an update from me from March 21st to April 1st. I've been waiting for this trip for over a year, now…since my junior year, so yay! :D

Well, until next time, readers, KD out!


	7. Turn of Events

Yosuke and Yu were talking to each other as they had some time to spare before classes begun. At that moment, Chie practically barged into the room.

"What's wrong, Satonaka?" Yosuke asked.

"Is Yukiko here?" Chie looked concerned.

Yosuke blinked. "Amagi-san? Nope, I haven't seen her."

"Crap! What should I do?" Chie frowned.

"Did something happen?" Yu asked.

"Last night on the Midnight Channel…" Chie trailed off.

Yosuke nodded. "Oh, yeah, we were talking about that this morning…"

"I think it was showing Yukiko…" Chie remarked. "I've seen her in that kimono before…She just wore it during that interview with that jackass reporter."

Yosuke turned to Yu, who was wide-eyed. She couldn't believe it… The woman in the kimono really _was_ Yukiko…

Yu stood up abruptly from her seat. "Satonaka, have you heard anything from her?"

Chie looked down. "I've been texting her, but she hasn't responded…"

"Have you tried calling?" Yu needed to know.

"It goes straight to voicemail…"

A small bead of sweat rolled down the side of Yosuke's face. "You don't think Amagi-san—"

"Don't go there!" Chie snapped.

All eyes were on Chie after her outburst. Chie looked sheepishly at everyone and muttered a quiet apology before going to her desk.

"She's okay…" she reassured herself. "She's probably just busy…or she could have lost her cell."

"She might be busy helping at home…" Yu recalled yesterday's news with how Yukiko was taking over for her mother temporarily.

Chie immediately perked up at the suggestion. "Right! That's gotta be it! I'll run by the inn."

"You're leaving?" Yosuke asked as Chie made her way towards the door. "But the bell's about to ring!"

Just as Chie was about to make it out the door, her cell phone started ringing. She stopped to answer her cell phone and grinned ecstatically when she heard who it was.

"Yukiko!" she practically breathed. "Thank god! You're there! Yeah, yeah! I see. Nah, it's nothing. I'll text ya later!"

Yosuke and Yu sighed in relief as Chie hung up. Chie turned to them, smiling.

"What a relief!" she said as she made her way back to her desk. "She's been busy 'cause a group came in without reservations.

Yosuke arched his brow. "So if it wasn't Amagi-san…who was on the Midnight Channel?"

"Crap, what if it was Sada—ah!" Yu blinked as Yosuke roughly pulled her towards him by the collar of her shirt. Her silver eyes gazed into his brown eyes.

"Narukami, don't bring _her_ up around Satonaka…" Yosuke hissed. "Satonaka hates anything horror-related…especially when it involves _her_."

Yu blinked and nodded. "Okay…can you let me go?"

…

…

"Sorry about that…" Yosuke rubbed the back of his neck. "Just…"

"I understand…critical hit to the nads?"

"Critical hit to the nads."

"By the way, Hanamura…what the hell?" Chie scowled at Yosuke. "Making me worry about Yukiko like that! She was totally fine!"

Yosuke looked nervously at Chie. "S-Sorry…but there is a reason we thought that."

"Oh yeah…? What?" Chie looked questioningly at Yosuke.

"Well…we thought people show up on the Midnight Channel because they're already over in that world…" Yosuke explained.

Yu arched her brow. "What do you mean by, 'we'?"

"Teddie and I, since you decided to pass out," Yosuke replied. "Anyways, it makes sense, right? People show up on TV because they're inside the TV…but Amagi-san's still here, in our world. We might want to see what this is about. Alright, let's meet up at Junes after school."

…

…

"What's that?" Yu asked as she looked at the notebook in Chie's hands.

Yosuke looked over Chie's shoulder. "Whoa, that handwriting sucks!"

BAM!

Chie landed a solid kick on Yosuke's stomach that knocked the wind out of him. "I took notes for Yukiko…"

Yosuke clutched his stomach as he stared at Chie, struggling to breathe. "G…Got it…"

Yu blinked as she watched Yosuke collapsed onto the floor. She sighed and walked over him. "Take care."

Yu was about to follow after Chie, but the posters on the bulletin board caught her eye. Both the soccer and basketball clubs were recruiting new members.

"Hey! You the transfer student?"

Yu turned around. "Th-That's right…"

Two male students approached Yu. One of them had dark, blue hair and gray eyes and wore the standard Yasogami High school uniform. The other, however, wore his Yasogami High jersey. He was a head taller than the blue-haired male student was and had a more muscular build in comparison. He had short, brown hair and brown eyes and had a brown band-aid on his nose. Both students had their eyes on Yu, making her feeling rather awkward.

A small bead of sweat rolled down the side of Yu's face. "Umm…"

"Played much basketball?" the blue-haired student asked.

"N-No, not really…" Yu replied nervously. _"Crap, I'm getting recruited…"_

"Hey!" Chie called out. "Let's go!"

Yu inwardly sighed and made her way to Chie, but not before bowing to the blue-haired student. She wondered why he was blushing, but decided to ignore it. She was just glad she didn't have to deal with being recruited. Right now wasn't a good time for her as she, Yosuke, and Chie needed to talk to Teddie.

Yosuke recovered from the painful kick he received from Chie. He patted the blue-haired student on the shoulder as he passed him. "Tough luck, Ichijo."

Ichijo blinked and turned to Yu. "We'll be waiting for you if you change your mind, new guy! Even inexperienced second-years are welcomed."

Yu blanched. _"Dammit, now I want in…"_

It was just an offer Yu couldn't pass up…

…

At Junes,

…

The electronics department of Junes was more crowded than usual. Yu explained to Chie in detail about what happened the other day. She had only managed to get to the part where she was fighting Shadow Yosuke when Yosuke interrupted her.

"O-Okay, I think that's more than enough about my sorry escapades." Yosuke rubbed the back of his head.

"If I hadn't seen the place first hand…I'd never have believed a story like that…" Chie remarked.

Yosuke nodded. "Yeah, no kidding. Anyways, we need to know what's going on inside—"

Yosuke trailed off when he noticed he was being stared at by one of the customers. Things were getting awkward…

"How?" Chie asked. "By talking to that Teddie guy?"

"Yeah," Yosuke replied. "Too bad there's so many customers around… I forgot there's a sale in the electronics department today…I got it! C'mere a sec."

Yosuke walked over to the flat screen television and beckoned Yu. "Try sticking your hand in and calling him over. I bet that bear's wandering around the entrance anyway. Hey Chie, stand over here. Make a wall with me."

"A wall?" Chie walked over to Yu's right, with Yosuke on her left.

After a quick look around, Yu stuck her hand into the television and tried beckoning Teddie over.

_Chomp!_

Yu yelped and pulled out her hand. Red marks marred her fingers… _"That little bastard!"_

"Wh-What's wrong?!" Yosuke asked a little too loudly.

"Shh!" Chie hissed. "Not so loud, you idiot! D-Dude, is that a bite mark?! Are you okay?!"

Yu winced as she rubbed her hand gingerly. "I think I'm gonna cry…"

"Ohh, c'mon, don't cry…" Chie said softly. "Sheesh, that stupid bear must've done it… Hey, you! We know you're in there!"

"Ooh, ooh, is this a game?" Teddie asked eagerly.

"No, it's not a game!" Yosuke scowled. "Can you sense anyone inside there right now?"

"Who's 'anyone'? I'm a lonely little bear like always. This land feels so bear-ren…"

"Shut it!" Chie snapped. "So there's no one inside…? You're sure?"

"I'm not lying! My nose is running as good as ever!"

"Hmm…" Chie still wasn't too sure. "I'm gonna go warn Yukiko anyway. Since she'll be busy this weekend helping out at the inn, I doubt she'd go anywhere alone, but still…"

"Better safe than sorry…" Yu muttered as she stared at her hand. "Hmm…"

"Yeah…you'll walk with her to school on Monday, right?" Yosuke asked Chie.

Chie nodded. "Sure, I'll go pick her up at her house."

"Maybe we'll find out more on tonight's Midnight Channel…" Yosuke sighed. "Cross your fingers that this is all just a misunderstanding… By the way, Narukami, what's your cell number? I'll call you when I watch it tonight."

Yosuke and Yu pulled out their cell phones and exchanged their numbers. Yu felt her heart skip a beat when she saw Yosuke's number in her contact list. Aside from Dojima, Yosuke was the only other person that Yu had in her contact list…it felt satisfying.

"Alright, don't forget to watch tonight," Yosuke said after pocketing his cell phone. "And Narukami…I got you that job you wanted."

Yu blinked. "Really? That fast—what happened?"

Yosuke sighed as he rubbed the back of his head. "Just follow me…I'll tell you along the way…"

…

At the Employee Changing Room,

…

Yosuke waited outside the changing room Yu was occupying as she changed. While this happened, Yosuke retold the events that occurred the other day that got Yu a job at Junes.

"So how does this work out? I mean, I took out the remaining supply of sake in stock and cost Junes money… How did I get the job?"

"Well, compared to a potential lawsuit in an area where small businesses are closing down and the remaining ones that are still open are possibly looking for any little chance they can find to hold against Junes…"

"So you're saying this job is basically a bribe to keep me quiet about the incident…"

"That pretty much sums it up, Narukami…hey, I got you the job, didn't I? And best of all, your uncle knows nothing of it!" Yosuke grinned at Yu as she exited the changing room.

"True…" Yu was now wearing a long-sleeved white shirt with a pair of jeans and a Junes employee apron. "Why the new set of clothes?"

"Dad didn't want you working in your—er, _my_ school uniform," Yosuke replied as he looked over Yu. "Looking good, Partner!"

Yu tilted her head to the side. "Are you hitting on me?"

"What? No!" Yosuke waved his hands as he shook his head furiously. "I'm just saying…never mind! Forget it…"

Yu blinked owlishly and laughed to herself. She was going to enjoy working with Yosuke. "So…what's my first job?"

"You're going to help me out with the upcoming sale in the grocery department—what's with that look in your eye?" Yosuke noticed the gleam in Yu's eyes.

"Take me _now_…"

"Narukami, you're scaring me."

…

…

"Well, that sale ended fast…" Yosuke remarked as he watched Yu walked toward him with grocery bags in her hands. "Seriously, I'd expect this from Satonaka to buy up most of the meat on sale."

"Hanamura, you've only known me for a few days," Yu replied as she adjusted her hold on the bags. "I happen to have a certain affinity for meat, especially since I have plans for dinner tonight!"

Yu blamed her meat affinity on her parents. She was usually brought alongside her parents when they were invited to business parties, which happened on a near monthly basis as a child. The choice in food varied, but most of the time, it consisted of some sort of meat dish, such as steak. When Yu was home alone, independent and living off of an allowance, she had to limit her intake of meat. So the fact that Junes was giving away meat at such a low price, Yu could not pass it up. Hell, she couldn't pass any sale on food up…she had to stock up on food because she had an actual family to feed.

"_A family to feed…"_ Yu blinked a few times and smiled as a blush tinged her cheeks. Her heart practically skipped a beat at that thought. She had grown accustomed to feeding only herself before she came to Inaba. When she had made dinner for Nanako and Dojima, she had never felt so…_complete_. _"I think I…like this feeling…"_

…

…

Yu and Yosuke went on their separate ways after work. It was still raining and it had gotten rather late, but Yu didn't really mind. She was more focused on what exactly she could make for dinner tonight.

"_I wonder if Dojima will be home tonight…"_ Yu had to put into consideration on what sort of dinner would be easy to reheat and eat. _"Maybe some roasted ginger pork?"_

"Looks like we've found all we're gonna find here. And we've still got nothing that points directly to a suspect."

"We don't know if this is a homicide."

"_Homicide?!"_ Yu almost dropped her bags immediately upon hearing the word "homicide". She looked up ahead and swallowed hard when she noticed a number of policemen scouting the area. A closer look revealed that a certain detective and his assistant were there as well. _"Shit…"_

Yu wasn't supposed to be late out at night. She was also most likely intruding upon the investigation going on involving the recent deaths of Mayumi Yamano and Saki Konishi. With Dojima out and about collecting information, Yu was pretty much in deep if he caught her like this…

"_Well, it's not like I don't have an excuse…"_ Yu did have Yosuke to help in her defense if Dojima wanted actual proof to explain as to _why_ she was out late at night. _"Might as well keep going…I'll just look suspicious if I just stand here and Nanako is probably home alone…"_

Almost immediately, Yu started walking at a brisk pace. She wanted to get to Nanako quickly.

"Well, what else could it be? There's no way a body could end up like that by accident!" Adachi's voice was getting louder as Yu got closer.

"I know…" Dojima sighed before he turned around. "We haven't found the cause of death for the first vic, and now we've got a second one just like it… If this is a murder case, there's no doubt we're dealing with a single perp. But if that's true…what the hell is going on?"

"Hey, what are you doing here?!"

Yu stopped in her tracks. "Wait, what—augh!"

_Bam!_

Yu's vision blurred momentarily. She had just been tackled by Adachi, her bags now on the ground along with her umbrella. She was currently being handcuffed. "What the hell?!"

"You're intruding upon an investigation scene," Adachi replied as he pulled Yu off the ground. "And furthermore, what's a high schooler like you doing out so late at night?"

Yu scowled at Adachi. "You better hope my groceries are okay or I'll—!"

Adachi blinked. "Is that a threat?"

"Adachi, you idiot, that's my nephew!" Dojima yelled at Adachi.

Adachi looked at Yu and nervously turned to Dojima. "N-Nephew?"

"I'm his mother's younger brother…now let him go!" Dojima snapped.

Adachi fumbled with the keys before removing the handcuffs off of Yu. He smiled sheepishly at Yu as she glared at him. "S-Sorry…"

Yu shook her head and picked up her bags and umbrella off the ground. She was relieved to see that her groceries were fine, but she was still rather miffed at Adachi for what he did. _"Then again, I should have known what I was getting myself into…"_

"What are you doing out late at night?" Yu sighed as Dojima asked the question she expected from him.

"Shopping," Yu replied simply. "Oh, and I got a job at Junes."

Dojima arched his brow. "A job?"

"Hanamura got me a job at Junes the other day…his father is the manager of Junes," Yu explained. "Look, I have to get home and make dinner…can we talk about this later when we're not in the rain?"

…

…

"Fine, but you still owe me an explanation for the empty house I came to in the morning." Dojima looked sternly at Yu. "Don't think I didn't notice."

A small bead of sweat rolled down the side of Yu's face. _"I'm gonna need Hanamura for this…"_

Dojima turned. "Now get in the car, I'm driving you home…Adachi, I'm leaving the rest up to you."

"R-Really?" Adachi was stunned.

"You heard me," Dojima said firmly. "Now let's go, Yu. It seems I need to go into full detail with the rules I've laid down for you…"

Yu looked nervously at Dojima. _"Crap…"_

…

…

Yu made a face as she made dinner. Dojima stood directly behind her, going into full detail about the rules he had set out for Yu, with the inclusion of some additional rules.

"You are not to spend the night at a friend's house without notifying me beforehand, especially when Nanako is involved." Dojima's voice was firm. "And if you're going to be coming home late from work, call me so I can at least know of your whereabouts and give my colleagues heads up. And by colleagues, I mean Adachi. I don't want another incident like today's happening again."

"_At this point, I rather take Adachi over this…"_ Yu thought as she cut the meat into pieces. "Got it…"

"Are you two fighting?" At the sound of Nanako's voice, Yu and Dojima stopped what they were doing. The six-year-old looked at the two from the living room, having been watching a quiz show. Yu and Dojima looked anxiously at the little girl.

"N-No…" they both answered.

Nanako frowned. "Don't fight!"

After that, Dojima left Yu alone, leaving her to concentrate on making dinner. Dojima stayed for dinner, which was roasted ginger pork, that night, much to Nanako's delight. Yu's initial discomfort was eased as she watched Dojima and Nanako enjoy her cooking once more. When dinner was over, Nanako helped Yu wash the dishes and Dojima decided to join in.

Dojima found it out of character of him to do something such as this, but after seeing just how close Nanako had already gotten to Yu…

"_Am I really jealous of a high schooler?"_ Dojima thought as he dried a wet plate that Nanako had given him.

…

…

* * *

_Saturday, April 16__th__, 2011_

_A lot has happened since I last wrote in this journal…a whole lot. Where do I even start?_

_Right, Saki Konishi…she died the other day in the same way Mayumi Yamano did. I feel really bad for Hanamura…really bad. He really liked her and after the incident in the TV World…he must be really hurting._

_Well, I guess one good thing came out of getting drunk: Hanamura didn't spend the rest of the day alone. Aside from that, I can't really forgive myself for doing what I did—getting drunk, that is. But…I just couldn't help it. I could have died, but I didn't…I survived. I saw Hanamura while he was at his most vulnerable. I opened up…and remembered things I didn't want to remember. I know that Hanamura will never exactly be the same person…just like me._

_I just wanted to forget all of that…is that too much to ask for? Considering my situation and status as a minor, I guess it is. At least I'm not alone…and I still can't believe Hanamura didn't notice, but it's just nice knowing he's actually worried about me. I have an actual friend…_

_I have never felt so…accomplished, but this is just the start. There is so much more than just this. I still have to fulfill a promise I made with Teddie. I have to keep an eye out on the Midnight Channel and, with Hanamura's help, rescue those who are thrown into the TV World. That was the plan we decided on today during our shift at Junes…_

_I'm not alone…and neither is Izanagi. We have Hanamura and Jiraiya by our sides._

…

…

_The Persona Disco Ninja Frog, Jiraiya…I can't believe my mentality under the influence of alcohol. Still, I can't help but find this hilarious. I hope I didn't give Hanamura too much trouble…_

_I finally got my origami paper, so I'm going to end this entry here so I can get a start on the first of the one thousand origami cranes I'm going to fold. Here's for me actually accomplishing that feat._

* * *

…

…

Yu had reached over one-hundred and twenty origami cranes by the time the Midnight Channel popped on the television screen. She was greeted by the most shocking scene that she had ever seen and after yesterday's incident, that was saying something.

"_**Good evening!"**_ the girl on the television said. The girl wore a pink, flowing ball gown decorated with roses. She wore matching pink arm-length gloves and a golden tiara. Her hair was long and black and she was fairly skinned. She was holding a microphone of a similar color up to her mouth. She smiled sweetly as she said, _**"Princess Yukiko has a surprise!"**_

Yu stared wide-eyed at Yukiko. "W-What?"

"_**I'm going to score myself a hot stud!"**_

A small bead of sweat rolled down the side of Yu's face. "What…the hell am I watching?"

…

…

* * *

A/N End of chapter. Hey guys! Bet you didn't expect this from me? Well, I didn't, but I got access to free wi-fi at the hotel in Paris—that's right, peoples, KD be in Paris, city of lights!

Yeah, I prefer rural France. D: TOO MANY PEOPLE! I ain't that much of a city girl…but yeah, it's gorgeous. England was fine, very cold though because I had to have the luck of coming at what has been the coldest March in I forget how many years…yeah, THAT sort of luck.

It's like 1:30 AM right now and I have to get some sleep…I have a big day today, what with Notre Dame and the Eiffel Tower being on today's schedule to visit…yeah, gonna regret this later today, but hey! This story is worth it…

Well, review if you wish, just don't flame me. Constructive criticism is always welcomed, because it helps and I need it for this chapter. I'm practically falling asleep at this moment.

That's enough for this chapter! Wait patiently for the next one and until next time, KD out!


	8. The Chariot

"_**Welcome to Not a Dream, Not a Hoax: Princess Yukiko's hunt for her Prince Charming!"**_

"What…the hell?" A small bead of sweat rolled down the side of Yu's face. Yu's mind was still trying to process what was going on.

"_**And I came prepared~!" **_Yukiko chirped in a rather too-sweet-for-comfort tone. She showed no hesitation or embarrassment in her next action, which involved grabbing her crotch. Needless to say, all the embarrassment Yukiko failed to experience was felt by Yu.

"_Oh, god, what is she doing?!"_ Yu covered her mouth, barely muffling a shriek.

"_**I've got my lacy unmentionables on, stacked from top to bottom!"**_

Yu could feel the beads of sweat rolling down her face as she got an eyeful of cleavage from Yukiko. "Uhh…"

"_**And my heart is ready to go!"**_ Yukiko exclaimed as she made a heart-shaped formation with her hands over her chest. _**"I'm out to catch a whole harem, and the best of the lot is going to be all mine!"**_

Yu tugged on the collar of her shirt. She was feeling rather bothered. "I don't know what to make of this…"

"_**Weeeellll…here I go~!"**_ With that said, Yukiko turned and made her way over towards the castle in the background. The television screen then went black.

…

…

_Thump!_

_Thump!_

_Thump!_

Yu found it disturbing with how she could hear her own heartbeat. "Ugh…"

_PI PI PI PI PI PI PI!_

Yu pulled out her cell phone and answered it.

_"**H-Hey, did you see that?!"**_ Yosuke asked, sounding somewhat bothered.

"Uh-huh…" was all Yu could manage to say. Everything she had finished watching was now flooding through her head again.

_"**That was Amagi-san for sure! It looked like her…I mean, she even said her name! But…didn't the stuff she was saying sound weird!?"**_

"Lacy…" Yu felt her face burn red. "Unmentionables…"

_"**Dude, snap out of it! I'm having a hard time as is doing it! Don't make it harder for me!"**_

Yu shook her head. "R-Right…"

_"**Anyways, it looked like she on some low-budget TV show…"**_ Yosuke continued. _**"Was it like this before, too? What's going on…?"**_

"I…was she grabbing her—"

_"**Goddammit, Narukami, FOCUS!"**_ Yosuke snapped.

Yu blinked and shook her head. "Got it…hey, try to contact Amagi-san…"

_"**Y-Yeah, I know…uhhh…crap, I don't know her number…"**_

Yu's face palm was audible.

_"**Are you okay?"**_ Yosuke sounded nervous.

"Call Satonaka…"

_"**Oh yeah, I can just call Satonaka! Tomorrow's Sunday, so let's meet up at Junes first thing in the morning!"**_

"Sounds like a plan…" Yu sighed as she wiped the sweat off her forehead.

_"**Seriously, are you okay?"**_

"Oh, I'm fine, just…lacy unmentionables, stacked from top to bottom…" Yu found herself peering into her shirt for a quick glimpse at her chest. Almost immediately, Yu shook her head and looked away from her chest as she mentally berated herself for even doing that. She needed a distraction from this…now. "Did she really grab her crotch?!"

_"**Yes, Narukami, now drop it!"**_ Yosuke snapped. _**"You're making me remember that and I rather not because of Satonaka—"**_

"Critical hit to the nads?"

_"**Critical hit to the nads—is this going to be a reoccurring thing for us?"**_

"It is if you want it to be." By the looks of it through Yu's perspective, it might just become that.

_"…**Let's space it out."**_

"Sure…so tomorrow?" The conversation went on for a few more minutes.

_…_

Meanwhile,

_…_

Chie panted as she made her way down the empty streets, sprinting. The rain had stopped and Chie was fully aware that it was half past midnight, but she didn't care. Her parents had already grown accustomed to how she was prone to bolting out of the house at any given time when it pertained to Yukiko, so Chie didn't have to worry about getting in trouble. Again, she didn't care…

What she did care, though, was if Yukiko was still at the inn. That was her only thought as she continued sprinting towards the Amagi Inn, never once stopping, despite the burning sensation in her chest. She couldn't stop…not until she was there.

_"I __**have**__ to know…"_ Chie thought to herself.

The Amagi Inn was brightly lit up, illuminating the area surrounding it. Chie could make out a faint silhouette at the entrance. As she got closer to the inn, the silhouette at the entrance turned out to be Yukiko's mother.

"Miyuki-san!" Chie called out.

"Chie-chan?" Despite having grown accustomed to Chie's spontaneous visits, Miyuki was still surprised to see Chie out so late at night. "What are you doing here?"

Chie stopped running once she reached the entrance. She stopped to catch her breath before answering, "Is Yukiko here?"

"You mean she's not with you?"

"Wha?" That alone was enough for Chie's heart to nearly stop beating.

…

…

Later that morning,

…

Yu scratched at her chest lightly as she made her way downstairs. She was greeted by absolute silence, with Dojima out of sight, probably at work, and Nanako… Yu looked around and found Nanako sitting at the table in the living room. She was drinking orange juice, her gaze focused on the remote in front of her. Nanako noticed Yu and diverted her gaze on her cousin.

"Good morning," Nanako greeted Yu before taking a sip of her orange juice.

"You're up early…" Yu remarked.

Nanako lowered her glass. "He woke up early, so I woke up with him. He said he's gonna be late."

_"So that means she's home alone…"_ Yu made a face. She didn't want to leave Nanako alone, but she already made plans to go to Junes…

"Are you going somewhere?" Nanako looked over Yu, taking in the black jacket, gray turtleneck, and black pants she was wearing. Yu looked ready to go somewhere.

Yu blinked. "Uh…"

"I'll be fine by myself," Nanako reassured Yu before picking up the remote to turn on the television.

**_"—so the weather this weekend will be perfect for going out. As for next week's forecast…"_**

Nanako set down the remote. "Oh, the sun's gonna come out. I should do some laundry…"

"Need any help?" Yu offered. She knew she had to go to Junes, but Yosuke wouldn't mind if she was a few minutes late…

"Uh…weren't you going somewhere?" Nanako looked at Yu. "It's okay, I'm fine! Really…"

At Nanako's insistence, Yu decided to go out. She had never met a more convincing six-year-old in her life…

…

At the Junes Food Court,

…

Yu looked at the white origami cranes she had folded on the table she sat at. She smiled and took a small drink from her can of TaP soda. She had bought herself a can at the shopping district on the way to Junes. There had been a vending machine next to a place called the Shiroku Store. The Shiroku Store had caught her interest and the sweet, old lady running the store noticed immediately. After a small discussion, Yu made a mental note to come back to the Shiroku Store one of these days.

"Yo! I got some stuff out of my closet!"

Yu arched her brow at Yosuke as he approached her with his hands behind his back. He wore a white leather jacket with an orange V-necked shirt and dark green pants. What he did next caused Yu to cover her mouth to avoid spitting out her soda all over Yosuke. She stared wide-eyed at Yosuke as he held out a katana and an aikuchi to her.

"Guess what's sharper than a golf club!" Yosuke said with a grin.

Yu coughed a few times, making a face when she saw her soda-soaked napkin origami cranes. She quickly focused her gaze on Yosuke. "Aw, what the hell, man?!"

"We might have our Personas, but you were right about how it helped to have a weapon," Yosuke explained, blissfully unaware of the stares he was receiving from the people at the food court. "So, which one strikes your fancy?"

Yu looked questioningly at the weapons and firmly replied, "The katana."

Yosuke grinned widely. "Ahh, you've got discerning taste. This is a Junes exclusive. The blade's fake, though…"

Yu sighed. "I thought it was sharper than a golf club…what about you?"

"I could dig using both," Yosuke said before licking the katana's blade. "Kinda like this?!"

Yu's eyes widened as Yosuke began waving the aikuchi and katana around in a crowded food court, with a murderer on the loose and a policeman taking note of his sword-swinging antics.

"_This is definitely going to end well…"_ Yu thought as a small bead of sweat rolled down the side of her face.

"I've identified two suspicious-looking young males, one armed with multiple weapons. Requesting immediate backup."

"_**Extremely**__ well…"_ Yu thought as she watched Yosuke get his arms pinned behind his back by a policeman.

"Hey, hold it! Wait, wait, wait!" Yosuke dropped the swords and looked nervously at the policeman.

The policeman scowled. "Resisting an officer?"

"We weren't doing anything!" Yosuke insisted. "We aren't bad guys! We're just huge sword fanatics!"

Yu blinked and immediately stood up. "Don't include me. Look, officer, this is just a misunderstanding—"

"They're over there!" Three policemen arrived at the scene.

Yu looked at the policemen and sighed. There was no point in reasoning with the policemen at this point…

…

…

Yu had a blank expression on her face as she was forced into the backseat of the police car by a policeman. Once she was in, the policeman shut the door and the police car took off. Sirens began wailing and Yosuke, who was sitting in between Yu and a policeman, found himself being glared at by the former. He smiled sheepishly in response and said nothing.

…

…

"You didn't seem the type to pull a stupid stunt like this." Dojima's tone was stern, as was his expression as he looked at his nephew, who stood right next to the Junes boy. If this continued, Dojima was considering having Yu terminate the friendship between the two…as a last resort, _only_ if it kept up. He sighed. "You know what's been going on around town. We got men stationed everywhere. For god's sake…this is the second time this has happened!"

"Second?" Yosuke looked at Yu, perplexed.

Yu refused to say anything.

"You're lucky I was around, or this would have ended up on your permanent record." Dojima looked at Yu and then at Yosuke.

"_Like that matters…"_ Yu was just glad she wasn't behind bars.

"We're sorry…" Yosuke avoided making eye-contact with Dojima.

…

…

"Aren't you going to say something, Yu?" Dojima looked questioningly at Yu.

"It wasn't my fault?" Because really, it wasn't…Yu was just dragged along. "Look, what do you expect me to say? I will not make friends with gangsters?"

Dojima shook his head and sighed in exasperation. "Just…avoid getting into trouble."

"Will do!" Yu replied almost automatically.

"Wait, so the one that disappeared is the Amagi girl…?"

"Seems like it… But she's just a high schooler, you know. Could be that she decided to run away from home…"

Yu and Yosuke turned to each other. They had heard the conversation going on between a plainclothesman and a uniformed officer passing by them loud and clear.

"Did he say Amagi…?" Yosuke couldn't believe it. "Then…She really is…"

"Oh my god…" Yu felt her blood run cold. Yukiko was in the TV World…

"Hm?" Dojima looked questioningly at Yu and Yosuke. "Who's what now?"

Yosuke turned to Dojima. He and Yu had almost forgotten about him… "Oh, uh, nothing…"

"I'm sure you've seen on the news that there's an investigation in progress… We're sensitive about certain things."

Yu remembered vividly the treatment she received the other day for being out so late at night. And just her luck, she had to walk by the source of the investigation. "At least I can depend on Dojima to bail me out for that…"

"You're free to go," Dojima said as he looked at Yu and Yosuke. "But this better not happen again…and Yu, I'm still expecting an explanation about why you and Nanako were spending the night at his house."

Yu turned to Yosuke. "Hanamura…"

Yosuke blinked a few times. "Uh…about that…well, you see…"

Dojima sighed and shook his head. "Never mind. I have a feeling I'll never get a straight answer out of either of you. Just don't do it again without telling me…understand, Yu?"

"Uh…yes!" Yu nodded her head.

Dojima sighed and walked away from the two. Once he was out of earshot, both Yu and Yosuke mushroom-sighed in relief.

"That was tense…" Yosuke remarked.

Yu nodded in agreement. "My heart…"

…

…

"We should leave…" Yosuke turned to Yu.

Yu looked back at Yosuke. "Yeah, we should…"

Yosuke and Yu started making their way out when they came across a certain assistant of Dojima's, almost bumping into him.

"Whoa…Pardon me." Adachi looked nervously at the cup of hot coffee in his right hand. He sighed and turned to Yu and Yosuke. "Huh? Aren't you that kid staying at Dojima-san's place?"

Yu made a face. "Yeah, we met the other day…remember?"

Adachi blinked, his eyes widening in realization. "Oh crap…were your groceries okay?!"

"Yeah, they are…" Yu was still miffed at Adachi and it showed through her expression.

Adachi frowned. _"Geez, you two are definitely related…"_

"Oh…! Uh, can we ask you something?" Yosuke looked at Adachi as he crossed his arms.

"Hmm?" Adachi blinked.

"It's about Yukiko Amagi of the Amagi Inn…did something happen to her?" Yosuke hoped to get an answer out of Adachi.

"Huh? Oh, umm…am I allowed to say…?" Adachi thought for a moment before sighing. "Well, if you're friends with Yukiko-san…Keep this between us, okay? We got a call from her parents yesterday evening saying they couldn't find her anywhere."

That definitely caught Yu and Yosuke's attention.

"Since it was the weekend, the workers at the inn were extremely busy, and no one saw Yukiko-san around that time," Adachi continued. "Oh, but that doesn't necessarily mean this is a case just yet! But, people've been turning up dead on foggy days… So we're really sensitive to stuff like this."

"I've noticed," Yu remarked, earning a rather nervous look from Adachi.

"By the way, did she say anything to you guys about maybe going through some hard times?" Adachi asked as he tried to change the subject. He just wanted to forget what happened last night.

Yosuke blinked. "Uh…? Hard times?"

Yu arched her brow. "What's this about?"

"Well, that announcer, Ms. Yamano, was staying at the Amagi Inn before the first murder," Adachi replied. "Seems Ms. Yamano had some harsh words for the manager about the staff's attitude towards guests. The stress of it caused the manager to collapse. And with Yukiko-san being the manager's daughter…she must've felt pretty strongly about the incident, y'know."

Yu and Yosuke didn't know and because of that, the two were confused. Just what was Adachi trying to imply?

"By the way, did Yukiko-san ever hint that she might be leaving the house?" Adachi lowered his voice at this point. "'Cause if not, there's been some theories floating around that she's laying low for some reason or another…Nah, crap, I think I've gone too far. You didn't hear that, okay?"

"Adachi, what the hell are you chatting with civvies for?! And where's my coffee?!" Dojima's voice was heard by everyone and soon, all eyes were on Adachi.

"S-Sorry! I got it right here!" Adachi looked nervously at Yu and Yosuke. "Forget I said anything! Please!"

Yu and Yosuke could only nod in response. Adachi sighed in relief and continued making his way to Dojima.

…

…

Chie was waiting at the front desk for Yu and Yosuke at Junes. She was wearing a different jacket that was lighter green in color with a white top underneath and navy-colored short shorts. The look on her face was enough for both Yu and Yosuke to be wary of saying anything that might set her off.

"Sheesh, what're you guys doing?!" Chie was furious. "I've been looking everywhere!"

Yosuke looked awkwardly at Chie. "Uh, well, there was a slight misunderstanding—we'll tell you about it later."

"I could care less what happened!" Chie said bluntly. "Yukiko's missing!"

Yosuke blinked. "Wait, you knew that already?"

"They…they thought she was with me…" Chie replied as she looked down. "Yukiko and I are close you know… Nobody knew she was missing until I walked up to Miyuki-san and asked her if Yukiko was home…"

"Miyuki-san?" Yu repeated.

"Yukiko's mother…" Chie replied. "I…she really did disappear…"

Yosuke frowned. "I guess we've got no choice but to go now…"

"No shit!" Chie snapped. "What are we waiting for?! Let's go!"

"Problem…" Yu crossed her arms. "Our weapons got confiscated, no thanks to a certain someone who thought it would be a good idea to wave them around in a food court full of people."

"Is that what happened?" Chie looked at Yosuke. "That's the stupidest thing you've ever done, even by _your_ standards!"

Yosuke scowled at Chie. "What did you say?!"

"Calm down, you guys…may I remind you of the policeman standing just a few feet away from us outside?" Yu had noticed his presence and she would rather avoid another trip to the station. "Twice in a day is a personal record I'd rather _avoid_…"

…

…

"Sorry…" both Yosuke and Chie said sheepishly.

Yu sighed. "Okay, so what are we going to do about our weapons? We can't go in empty-handed and I refuse to use a golf club…"

"Didn't seem like that last time…" Yosuke commented.

"Yeah, but golf clubs don't last…" Yu explained. "I need something durable…like a baseball bat or something…when's the next shipment of baseball bats?"

"At the end of the month…just like everything else," Yosuke replied. "So that's out…"

Chie blinked and grinned. "Heeey…I know a place…"

Yu turned to Yosuke and whispered, "Should I be worried about this?"

"You get used to it…" Yosuke whispered back.

"Follow me!"

…

…

"Here we are!" Chie chirped.

Yosuke and Yu looked around the building they had just entered in the shopping district. Weapons and armors of various types lined the walls and shelves. An old man watched the three thoughtfully behind his table occupied by metalwork. He was smoking a cigarette, which explained why the building smelled like smoke.

"Wh-What kinda shop is this…?" Yosuke looked around, eyeing the various weapons lining one of the many shelves.

Chie made a face. "A metalworks…I guess? They sell all sorts of metal crap…like katana and stuff."

Yu blinked. "Is this even legal?"

"Forget that, doesn't this seem weird to you?!" Yosuke looked at Chie. "Why would you know about a place like this anyway? Do I even _want_ to know?"

Chie scowled at Yosuke. "Grr…"

"Oh, I get it…" Yosuke sighed. "You watched one too many kung-fu movies, and…"

"It's not that at all!" Chie snapped. "I overheard some guys in our class talk about it. They said this place sells weapons and armor."

"Doesn't that sound a little too convenient?" Yu asked Chie as she turned to look over some armor. She made a face when she realized she was just ignored. _"Figures…"_

"Here, this one looks good…but it might be too heavy…" Chie frowned.

Yosuke huffed. "I dunno, Satonaka—wait, you're going?!"

"Of course I am!" Chie said almost as if it was obvious. "This is Yukiko we're talking about! I have to save her…"

Yosuke frowned. "Look, I know how you feel, but—"

Chie turned to face Yosuke, scowling at him. "You don't! You don't know shit about how I feel… Yukiko might die from this, for crying out loud! I'm going, and that's that!"

…

…

"Oh, alright," Yu sighed. "Just…try to be careful."

Chie smiled. "Psh, I'll be fine! My reflexes are second to none!"

"Listen…I'm not kidding around…" Yosuke said seriously. "You don't know what it's like in there! We almost got killed last time… If you're not gonna listen to our warnings, we're leaving you here! If you insist on coming, just make sure you have something to protect yourself."

"Alright…" Chie huffed before turning around to look at the armor some more. "So…what should we get?"

Yosuke made a face and turned to Yu. "What _should_ we get?"

"I think we should be more concerned about the guy selling this stuff…" Yu replied as she focused her attention on the man who had been watching the three of them the entire time they had entered the shop.

_Ding!_

Yu and Yosuke turned to see Chie receiving chainmail armor from the man. She thanked him and turned, blinking owlishly when she noticed the stares Yu and Yosuke gave her.

"What? I got my stuff all picked out! How about you guys?"

"Who's next?" The man eyed Yu and Yosuke.

Almost immediately, Yu found herself behind pushed towards the man by Yosuke. "Huh?"

"You talk to him…" Yosuke whispered to Yu. "He creeps me out…"

Yu made a face. "Jerk…"

…

…

"Have you come to see my art?" the man asked as he eyed Yu. "Hmm…haven't seen you around here before… What's your name?"

"Yu Narukami." Yu's response was almost automatic. "I just moved in from the city almost a week ago…and you?"

"Call me Daidara," the man replied with a wide grin. "You know, I'm feeling rather generous today, so how about I give you a discount on your purchase today?"

Yu blinked. "Huh?"

"You are a customer, correct?" Daidara took a drag on his cigarette, and then exhaled, puffing smoke into the air. "So what is it you're looking for?"

"Uh…do you sell any katana?" Yu asked on a whim.

Daidara scratched the back of his head and sighed. "Well, at the moment, all I have for you is an imitation katana. It's the closest I have that's suited for someone of your…petite stature. And it'd do you good to start out small."

Yu looked blankly at Daidara in response to the comment. "Hmm…how much?"

"4,800 yen, but for you…4,000 yen," Daidara replied before placing his cigarette back in his mouth. "Have we got a deal?"

Yu thought about it for a moment. "I guess…"

Daidara grinned. "Good choice…anything else?"

Yu looked over her shoulder at Yosuke, who was currently looking at the assortment of swords put up for display. "What do you suggest for him?"

Daidara looked Yosuke over. "Hmm…"

…

…

"Well?" Yu needed to know.

Daidara went under the table for a moment and came back up holding a wrench in each hand. "I suggest you start him out on these before moving him onto anything remotely sharp."

Yu stared at the wrenches in Daidara's hands. "Okaaay…so how much?"

"1,000 yen for both," Daidara replied. "And with the imitation katana, the price would add up to…5,000 yen."

"I'll take them both…" One payment later and Yu was now the owner of an imitation katana and a pair of wrenches that she planned on giving to Yosuke.

"Is there anything else you'd like?" Daidara asked Yu.

Yu looked at her imitation katana as she unsheathed it from its saya. "Not really…"

"You know, if you want something special, bring me your own materials and I'll try to use them for you." Daidara exhaled a puff of smoke. "I always like seeing new things and trying new techniques. So, bring me some rare materials that I've never seen before… If you do, I can make you some really cool stuff…"

"You mean like an actual katana?" The imitation katana wasn't that bad, in fact, it looked almost like a real katana. It was just that…it was still an imitation.

Daidara grinned. "Well, it all depends on the materials I receive from you…and what I make is up to me. I am the artist here, after all. I'll be expecting some praise, too!"

Yu looked at Daidara and smiled. "You're alright, old man."

…

…

Yu was the first to leave the shop after giving Yosuke the pair of wrenches she bought him. He probably was still staring at them.

"_I'd be, too, if my weapons were a pair of monkey wrenches…"_ Yu thought as she placed her hand in her pocket. She blinked as she felt something in her pocket that she knew wasn't there before. She pulled out whatever it was from her pocket and found that it was a peculiarly blue-colored key.

"_When did that get there…?"_ Yu looked questioningly at it. _"Wait…this seems…familiar…"_

FLASH!

"Aagh…" Yu shielded her eyes from the sudden bright flash that practically blinded her. It took her a few moments before the temporary blindness went away. When it did, she found herself staring at a bizarre door on a wall that she knew wasn't there before. She had a feeling she was the only one who saw the door, considering nobody seemed to noticed its existence.

"So it finally begins…" a voice echoed in her head. "Now, if you'll give me a moment of your time…"

Yu blinked and noticed that the key in her hand was glowing. A bright light flashed and Yu heard the turn of a doorknob and door opening.

…

…

* * *

When the bright light waned, Yu found herself in the Velvet Room. Margaret and Igor's presence greeted her, but there was something off about this particular meeting. There was a girl sitting to Igor's right. She had black hair and wore a very familiar outfit… And she had an unfriendly look to herself.

…

"_It's her!"_ Yu's eyes widened.

It was the same girl she met the first day she arrived to Inaba…but…

"_What is she doing here?"_ Yu couldn't help but wonder.

"We have been expecting you," Igor remarked, his grin never ceasing. "The catastrophe that is headed your way… It has already taken human lives in its approach towards you…But you have nothing to fear. You already have the power to fight against it. It seems that the time for you to use your Persona has come…"

Yu rubbed the back of her head. "Ah…"

"Your Persona ability is that of the wild card," Margaret began. "If you strengthen your bonds properly, their power will help you overcome any ordeal. Our role is to facilitate that."

"My contribution…is to give birth to new Personas," Igor continued for Margaret. "By mixing together multiple Persona cards, I can transmute them into a new form… This, in other words, is the fusion of Personas. You have the power to hold multiple Personas and to use them accordingly."

Yu blinked. _"Wow…that's…a lot to take in…"_

"When you defeat an enemy, the seeds of possibility you attain will appear before you as cards. At times, they may be hard to grasp…but you must master your fear and reach out to them. When you obtain new cards, please do not hesitate to bring them here. If you have been developing your Social Links, then your Persona will gain even more power…"

"_Social Links, Social Links, Social Links…"_ Yu repeated in her head. _"That's all I've been hearing from you…"_

"They will be one of your chief sources of strength… You would do well to take this to heart."

Yu recalled that she had the Magician Social Link with Yosuke…her first Social Link. It seemed that when she fused a Persona of the Magician Arcana, the Persona would gain even more power…assuming that was what Igor was informing her about.

"_That would explain why he's shoving Personas and Social Links down my throat…" _Yu thought to herself.

Igor glanced at Margaret and she nodded. Margaret turned her attention to Yu and held up the tome she held in her hand.

"The tome you see in my hand is the Persona Compendium," Margaret explained. "Registering the Personas you hold will allow you to recall them at any time. Please see me when you wish to use it. Oh, and one more thing…I would like to introduce a new resident of the Velvet Room, who will be helping you on your journey."

Yu's attention turned to the unfriendly-looking girl. The girl looked back at Yu, not even bothering to say anything to her.

"Hmph…" was all Yu got out of the girl.

Margaret looked questioningly at the girl, a frown beginning to form on her red lips. "…Marie?"

"_So her name is Marie…"_ Yu had finally learned of the girl's name…

"Yeah, I can hear," Marie practically snapped at Margaret. "Nice to meet you."

Marie seemed unfriendly…but Yu didn't mind. She was just glad to see Marie again, though something did bother her… Marie didn't seem to recognize Yu.

"I met you somewhere…" Yu was sure of it.

Marie blinked and made a face. "Huh…? Ohhhh…Maybe. That'd explain why you're so familiar. Hmmmm…"

Margaret sighed. "Excuse her. This is Marie. Her soul is still very young and—"

"Shut up!" Marie interrupted Margaret. "Don't tell him any more about me than you need to."

"As you can see…" Margaret continued. "She may be brusque at times, but please understand that she is only an apprentice and forgive her for her impoliteness."

"Got it," Yu replied, not really minding Marie's impoliteness. She was a nice change in comparison to Igor and Margaret.

"Marie will be dealing with 'Skill cards,'" Margaret explained. "Using these cards will allow you to provide your Personas with new powers. Also, I am sure she will help you form a bond between yourself and the 'outside world'. Marie will contact you at a later date. Please feel free to speak with her here when you wish to use her services."

Marie looked down at her lap and tried to ignore Margaret and Igor. "Hmph…"

Igor chuckled. "Do you recall my words to you before?"

Yu made a face. "Which ones?"

"'The coming year is a turning point in your destiny… If the mystery goes unsolved, your future may be forever lost,'" Igor replied. "I meant precisely what I said. Defeat in battle is not the only way your journey may come to an end… Please do not forget this."

Yu nodded. "I won't…"

Igor's grin widened. "When next we meet, you will come here of your own will." He chuckled. "I look forward to it. Until then… farewell."

* * *

…

…

When Yu came to, she found herself being shaken by Yosuke.

"Dude, wake up!" Yosuke exclaimed. "You better have a good explanation why I have a pair of monkey wrenches as a weapon!"

Yu blinked. "Hey, what just…happened?"

"You blanked out," Chie replied. "Oh, and Hanamura wants to know why you gave him such a lame weapon."

Yosuke scowled at Chie. "Shut up!"

"Well, Daidara recommended it for you and I'm taking that recommendation," Yu explained. "Hanamura, you are to keep away from using anything remotely sharp until further notice…besides, I have an imitation katana and Satonaka—what _are_ you using?"

Chie smiled widely. "My awesome kicking skills…"

…

…

"_Okay, best not to question that…"_ Yu sighed. "Look, here, Hanamura…I can't just spend money on weapons you don't know how to use. All of us are starting out small…I think we'll move on from there…you get me?"

Yosuke turned away from Yu. "I guess…"

"So how are we going to get into Junes?" Chie asked. "I mean, there are policemen surrounding Junes."

Yu turned to Yosuke. "Well, there are perks to being a part-time employee at Junes and a son of the manager…"

"Oh, I get you…" Yosuke said with a wide smile. "Just follow my lead…"

…

…

Being a part-time employee and son of the manager of Junes entitled Yosuke to certain privileges, such as the keys to the back-door entrance into Junes. There weren't any policemen around and even luckier for the trio; it was completely empty of any Junes employee, part-time or full-time.

Yu gave her katana to Yosuke for him to hide in his jacket. Unlike Yu, Yosuke was much more capable of hiding a katana than Yu and was also less likely to be seen as suspicious because he wasn't the new kid in town, like Yu. And being the manager's son, Yu had a feeling Hansuke would have some say in what exactly he counted as suspicious behavior from his son. This was probably nothing out of the ordinary for him.

Then again, after everything, what did count as ordinary?

"_I have no idea…"_ Yu sighed.

A few minutes later, the trio arrived at the electronics department. It was empty, as usual since the sale ended about an hour ago. Moments after the three approached the same television they had been using as entrance into the TV World, Yosuke stopped Chie.

"Satonaka, it's not too late to—"

"I'm going!" Chie cut Yosuke off. Her expression was serious and her tone was firm.

Yosuke sighed. "Fine, but don't push yourself, got it?!"

"And make sure to stay close," Yu added. "We really can't afford to split up…"

Chie nodded as she smiled. "Okay! Now let's go!"

…

…

_Bam!_

Yu made a face as she found herself piled under Chie and Yosuke. That was the third time she had been landed on…

"_This is getting old…"_ Yu huffed. "We seriously need to find a way to enter the TV without landing on each other…"

"Hear, hear…" Yosuke groaned. "Satonaka, please get off me…your chainmail is rather heavy…"

"S-Sorry…" Chie said nervously.

A few moments later, the three were off the floor and standing up. Yu sighed and walked over to pick up her katana off the floor. It was right next to Yosuke's wrenches. One of the things Yu and Yosuke did prior to entering the television was throwing their weapons in first before anything. Otherwise, the landing might have been…Yu decided not to think about it.

"Whoa, it really is that bear from last time…" Chie remarked, having spotted Teddie, who seemed to have been wallowing in a corner from the looks of his troubled expression.

Yu blinked as she felt someone tap on her shoulder. She turned to see it was Yosuke, who was already wearing his orange glasses. In his hands was the pair of silver glasses that belonged to her.

"I thought I'd keep an eye on these after…last time," Yosuke explained.

Yu blinked and took the glasses. "Thank you."

"No problem, Partner," Yosuke replied with a grin. He turned his attention to Teddie afterwards and walked up to the blue bear. "What're you doing?"

"Can't you tell?" Teddie asked as if it was obvious. "I'm thinking about stuff…"

"_Has he been doing this all this time?"_ Yu couldn't help but wonder.

"I've been deli-bear-ating over it for a long time now," Teddie sighed. "Hey, that wasn't a bad joke. Heehee…!"

Yosuke grimaced. "Ugh…"

Yu made a face. "Please don't start."

"Aye, aye, Sensei~!" Teddie chirped.

"So…did you figure anything out?" Yosuke asked Teddie. "Eh, it's probably useless to think about it too much. I've seen the inside of your skull, and it was empty."

Teddie turned and walked up to Yosuke, scowling at him. "How rude!"

"And you wonder why he doesn't show you any respect," Yu remarked.

Yosuke smiled sheepishly at Teddie. "S-Sorry…"

"You're right, though." Teddie smiled. "I try and try but nothing comes out of my head."

Chie growled. "Will you guys shut up?! Now's not the time for stupid jokes! Listen…Someone came here yesterday, right?"

Teddie turned to Chie and his pupils shrunk. "Wow! There's a girl with a better nose than me?! What's your name, Miss?"

Chie blinked owlishly. "M-Miss? Uh…I'm Chie Satonaka—but never mind that! Tell me more about that 'someone'!"

"I think it happened a little after I talked with you guys," Teddie began. "How's your hand, Sensei?"

Yu held up her right hand for Teddie to look. It was wrapped in bandages. "I'll let you be the judge of that."

Teddie laughed awkwardly. "Anyways, after that…it felt like someone was here."

"Is it Amagi-san?!" Yosuke was quick to ask.

Teddie turned to Yosuke. "I don't know. I haven't looked… The presence is over that way. That's probably where they are."

Chie looked in the direction Teddie was pointing. "Over there, huh…? Is everyone ready?"

Yosuke blinked. "Y-Yeah!"

Chie didn't even bother to hear Yu out before running off on her own. Yosuke, Yu, and Teddie quickly trailed after Chie.

"What the hell, Satonaka?!" Yosuke exclaimed. "I thought we were clear about what you were supposed to do!"

…

…

"Wasn't this…on the Midnight Channel last night?" Chie turned to Yu, Yosuke, and Teddie as they caught up to her.

The four of them were standing on a stone bridge leading towards a huge castle that resembled other castles found in typical European fairytales. The castle entrance consisted of a black and red vortex, much like the sky above. Altogether, there was something ominous about the castle.

"Why a castle?" Yosuke couldn't help but question.

"Yukiko was always interested in European fairytales…" Chie murmured as she recalled the many times she found her friend checking out simple children's books from the library prior to making the transition from fairytales to shoujo manga.

"_That explains a lot…"_ Yu thought.

Yosuke turned to Teddie. "You're positive that no one's behind a camera for that bizarre midnight program?"

Teddie blinked. "Program…? I don't know. Maybe people on your side can see stuff in this world. It might be that. And I told you before! There's only me and Shadows here! There's no 'camera' stuff going on. This world has been like this from the beginning."

"'From the beginning'…?" Yosuke repeated, scowling afterwards. "That's what we don't understand!"

"I dunno…can you guys explain everything about your world?" Teddie simply asked. "I've never seen this 'program' thingy before. So I don't know."

"Well…is that really what's happening?" Chie was confused. "Are we really looking into this world? Because the first time Yukiko showed up on that channel was before she disappeared. Doesn't that seem off? I mean, Yukiko saying stuff like 'score myself a hot stud'? That's not like her at all!"

Teddie looked questioningly at Chie. "'Score'? 'Stud'…?"

Yosuke ignored Teddie. "Yeah, I couldn't believe it either… Amagi-san would never say anything like that."

"I didn't even think she'd had that phrase in her vocabulary…" Yu remarked. "If anything, I'd expect her to swear first before saying anything like that."

Yosuke crossed his arms. "Huh…I wonder…Is this kinda like what happened to me last time…?"

Teddie turned to Yosuke. "There's a lot of stuff I still don't get. But after hearing your story… I think that 'program' happens because of the person who appears on it. Or something like that…"

"So…Yukiko is producing that show herself?" Chie asked as she furrowed her brow. "Ugh, I don't get this at all!"

Neither did Yu and Yosuke…

…

"Hey…do you feel Yukiko's presence from inside?" Chie asked Teddie as she looked at the castle.

"I'm pretty sure…so, um, what's this 'scoring with a hot stud' thing…?" Teddie's question fell on deaf ears.

"Yukiko's here…" Chie's gaze was focused on the castle. "I'm going on ahead!"

Almost immediately from there, Chie bolted for the castle, leaving Yu, Yosuke, and Teddie behind.

"Hey, wait!" Yosuke shouted. "Don't go alone, you idiot!"

Yu face palmed. "Geez…we should get going, now."

"Urk…there are lots of Shadows in the castle…" Teddie said with a nervous expression on his face. "It'll be dangerous inside for a girl by herself…"

Yosuke narrowed his eyes at Teddie. "Dude, are you freaking serious?!"

"Why the hell didn't you tell us before?" Yu glared daggers at Teddie.

Teddie laughed nervously. "Oops…"

"C'mon, let's go find Satonaka!" Yosuke exclaimed, gesturing at the castle before running off. Yu followed after him and Teddie stayed behind.

"You guys go ahead, I'll just…guard the entrance!" Teddie said with a wide smile on his face.

"Like hell you are!" Yu exclaimed as she went back for Teddie and dragged him alongside her in a not-so-gentle manner.

"Hey, careful! I'm beary delicate!"

…

…

"Dude, I feel ridiculous with these wrenches…" Yosuke complained as he held a wrench in each hand.

"Don't complain, Hanamura," Yu said as she unsheathed her imitation katana. "Just try not to hurt yourself—"

"Ouch!"

_Klang!_

Yu made a face as she watched Yosuke rub his head, taking note of the single monkey wrench that rested on the floor. "And you wonder why you got a pair of wrenches for weapons…what the hell were you trying to do?"

"Uh…spin it up in the air and catch it?" Yosuke replied sheepishly.

…

…

"Practice with something else before trying it with the real thing…" Yu let out an exasperated sigh. "Teddie, can you tell where Satonaka is?"

Teddie sniffed the air. "Hmm…she's not that far, that's for sure."

"Awesome…" Yu deadpanned. "Let's go!"

"Hey, don't leave me behind!" Yosuke exclaimed as he picked up his wrench off the floor. "This place is creepy!"

While the castle's décor was gorgeous, though rather extravagant, the dark and empty seemingly-endless hallways were rather ominous enough for one to ignore the beauty of the castle. In fact, it almost looked…lonely, maybe even a tad bit…suffocating for one to wander alone.

"Watch out!" Teddie exclaimed. "The Shadows are getting really aggravated, Sensei! They might try to get the jump on you first if they spot you!"

Yu narrowed her eyes as she spotted a familiar blob of black slime. "I guess that means I have to attack it first!"

The Shadow made an eerie gurgling sound and was starting to turn around, but Yu managed to land a solid hit on it with her katana. Though, just as she was ready to follow up with a second attack, the Shadow split in two and transmogrified into something else. Yu recognized one of the shapes, the way its tongue dangled out of its mouth…

Yu scowled. "You…"

"Lying Hableries are weak to Zio skills!" Teddie called out. "They're the same Shadows that attacked you and Yosuke last time!"

Yu held out her right hand as a blue card engulfed in blue flames hovered over her palm. The floor beneath her glowed and encircled her in blue light. Behind her, Izanagi appeared, poised and ready for battle.

"Ready, Izanagi?" Yu glanced at Izanagi over her shoulder.

Izanagi responded with a small nod and raised his arm. A bolt of lightning struck down on the Lying Hablerie. The attack left the Lying Hablerie twitching on the floor. Yu took advantage of this moment and moved in for an attack. She swung her katana and struck the Lying Hablerie hard, reducing it to a puddle of slime on the red carpet covering the floor.

"Watch out!" Yosuke yelled.

Yu had forgotten about the other Shadow and, as a result, ended up being caught by surprise and attacked. The Shadow resembled a masked dolphin made out of ribbon and when it attacked, it used its tail. The attack knocked Yu off her feet. The Shadow didn't even give Yu a chance to recover before attacking her again.

"Ugh…" Yu's vision blurred and her head spun.

Yosuke knew almost immediately that something was wrong with Yu. Otherwise, Izanagi wouldn't have been using his naginata as a crutch to keep his balance. It also helped that Teddie pointed out the obvious…

"Sensei's dizzy!" Teddie exclaimed as he flailed his arms. "Help him out, Yosuke!"

"I'm on it!" Yosuke exclaimed as he leapt up and smashed a glowing blue card using one of his wrenches. "Come, Jiraiya!"

Jiraiya appeared seconds after Yosuke called for him. Jiraiya flipped over Yosuke and pointed his index finger at the Shadow. A green-colored tornado blasted the Shadow with enough forced to knock it onto the floor.

"Calm Pesce is weak to Garu Skills! Finish it off, Yosuke! For Sensei!"

Yosuke ran towards the Shadow, a Calm Pesce (which is what Teddie referred to it as), and jumped up. He brought down both of his wrenches on the Calm Pesce as he landed. The Calm Pesce dissolved into a puddle of slime almost immediately upon impact. With both Shadows gone, Yosuke turned to Yu and ran over to her.

"Narukami!" he exclaimed.

Yu blinked and shook her head. Her dizziness had faded and instead, she found herself looking at a pair of swirling cards. "The hell? Is this what Igor was talking about?"

"_When you defeat an enemy, the seeds of possibility you attain will appear before you as cards," _Igor's words echoed in her mind. _"At times, they may be hard to grasp…but you must master your fear and reach out to them."_

"Huh…so I guess I have to pick one…" Yu narrowed her eyes and grabbed a card at random. The other cards disappeared and the one in her hand glowed. She flipped the card over and found herself staring at an image of a small, winged girl with short, brown hair. She was clad in blue and had a mischievous gleam in her eye. "Pixie…?"

The named had popped up in mind and, without meaning to, Yu crushed the card in her hand. Izanagi disappeared and, in his place, the winged girl on the card appeared in front of Yu. The winged girl was no bigger than Yu's hand. She flitted about in the air, smiling at Yu.

"**I am thou and thou art I!"** Her voice was high-pitched and almost bell-like. **"I am Pixie."**

Yu stared at Pixie. It was strange seeing a Persona just speak to her…Izanagi never did that.

"_Then again, Izanagi was never one to talk…"_ Ignoring the fact that Yu had only known Izanagi for a total of maybe…possibly three days? Yu sighed and tried to get off the ground…she _tried_. She couldn't because it hurt to _move_. "Agh…"

"**Hey, listen!"** Pixie exclaimed. **"You're hurt! Mind giving me the command to heal you?"**

"Uh…sure?" Yu was confused as something popped up in mind. "Dia…?"

Pixie smiled and clapped her hands. "There we go~!"

Yu's body began to glow as a healing light washed over her. The pain disappeared almost at once and Yu was finally able to stand up. She looked over herself and then at Pixie.

"**If you need any healing, you can call on me~!"** Pixie chirped.

"What the hell is that?"

Yu and Pixie turned to see Yosuke. Yosuke stared at Pixie, somewhat baffled with her presence.

"Is that a fairy?" Yosuke walked up to Pixie and tried to touch her, but Pixie moved out of Yosuke's reach.

"**Bad touch!"** Pixie raised her hand and a small bolt of lightning struck Yosuke.

BAM!

"Agh…" Yosuke was on the floor, twitching.

Yu blinked a few times and adjusted her glasses. "Okay, that was uncalled for, Pixie."

"**I just don't like being touched,"** Pixie said as she crossed her arms and puffed up her cheeks. **"Hmph…"**

…

…

"**Okay, I'll heal him…"** Pixie muttered incoherent words as she used Dia on Yosuke.

"Thank you…" Yu had a feeling she was going to enjoy having Pixie on the team…she wasn't so sure how Yosuke would feel about it, but she could deal with that later.

Moments later after a quick recovery, Yosuke stood up and glared at Pixie. "Dude, get rid of that thing."

"I don't want to…" Yu said simply. "She can heal and cast Zio…"

"What about Izanagi?" Yosuke asked.

"**I'm not weak to wind like him!"** Pixie piped in. **"I can also use Patra in case you get confused or something!"**

…

…

"I'm keeping her and that's that…" Yu's tone was firm.

Yosuke face palmed. "Great…wait a second, how come you get another Persona?"

"I'm a wild card, apparently, so I can have multiple Personas…" Igor's words finally had clarity to them now that Yu had seen what they meant. "I guess that makes me special…"

Teddie overheard. "Sensei's so cool~!"

Yosuke made a face. "Can we just get going? We gotta get to Satonaka!"

"R-Right!" Yu had almost forgotten about that, thanks to Pixie.

"**Hey!"** Pixie exclaimed. **"It's not my fault…"**

Yu blinked and narrowed her eyes. _"Oh, great, she can read my mind…"_

"**Of course I can, 'I am thou', remember?"** Pixie seated herself on Yu's shoulder. She moved closer to Yu's ear and whispered, **"Hey, what's this about dressing up like a boy?"**

…

…

"**I see…"** Pixie had received an answer through Yu's thoughts. **"I won't bother you anymore about it…"**

"Thank you…" Yu said softly.

…

…

Later,

…

Yu stared at Yosuke as he emptied the contents of his stomach in a corner of a room they had just entered minutes ago. After a small scuffle with a few Shadows, Yosuke had made a comment about feeling a burst of energy. It took a moment for Yu to put two and two together before realizing just what it was.

Every time Yu and Yosuke defeated a Shadow, they gained experience from that battle. Sometimes, Yu felt a burst of energy, but Yosuke hadn't…not until now. Being the first time it happened, Yosuke probably wasn't used to the feeling just yet, which would explain why he was throwing up.

"**You okay?"** Pixie had heard Yu's thoughts and decided to ask Yosuke in her place.

Yosuke gagged. "Urk…"

"I don't think he's okay, Pixie-chan," Teddie said as he looked at Pixie. A pink blush tinged his cheeks.

Pixie looked at Teddie and turned away from him. **"Not interested!"**

Teddie blinked. "What?"

In any other situation, Yosuke would have laughed. But not now, Yosuke didn't feel like laughing. He was somewhat taken aback by the fact that Jiraiya had been rubbing his back in a comforting manner the whole time he had been throwing up. It was…strange, but Yosuke didn't mind…sort of.

Yosuke wiped his mouth and spat on the floor. "Blegh…"

"So…where to?" Yu asked as she looked at Teddie.

Teddie blinked and stared sniffing the air. "Hmm…hmmm…this way!"

"Okay, let's go!"

"W-Wait up, Partner!"

…

…

_Creak!_

"All right, the stairs!" Yosuke exclaimed moments after pushing open the door.

Yu sighed. "Finally!"

After about an hour or so of wandering through endless hallways and doors leading into more hallways or the occasional room with treasure chests, Yu, Yosuke, and Teddie finally found the stairs leading to the next floor. Of course, the three had encountered more Shadows along the way and by now, Yu had another Persona in her possession. Pixie had been dismissed and replaced with Izanagi, much to Yosuke's relief.

Teddie walked over to the stairs and turned to Yu and Yosuke. "What are we waiting for? Let's go—huh…?"

Yu blinked. "What's wrong, Teddie?"

Teddie frowned. "I dunno, but there's something…different…"

"I don't like the sound of that…" Yosuke tightened his grip on his wrenches.

Yu nodded. "Okay, let's go over this before we move on…We're armed, right?"

"Right…" Yosuke replied.

"We have Pixie as our healer…right?" Yu continued.

Yosuke held up his hand. "Actually, I can use Dia…"

…

…

"Mind telling me why you left that out earlier?"

"I didn't know that Dia was a healing spell…"

"And you couldn't ask Teddie?"

"I just found out I had Dia just now…"

…

Yu crossed her arms. "All right, Hanamura, you're the new medic."

Yosuke blinked. "Does that mean Pixie's not coming out?"

"Possibly." Yu wasn't sure about that, though. She needed the wind resistance, but she wasn't going to say anything…

"Awesome." Yosuke was willing to take his chances. "What's next on the list?"

"I think we're good…"

"Okay, let's get going!"

Yu, Yosuke, and Teddie proceeded to make their way up the stairs. As they went up, Teddie decided to strike up a conversation with Yu and Yosuke.

"You're good at fighting, Sensei," Teddie said. "Compared to you, Yosuke stinks…"

Yosuke scowled at Teddie. "Shut up, Ted! Though…I do gotta admit… You have a knack for this stuff…"

"Doesn't he?" Teddie smiled. "So you should be the one to give Yosuke orders during a fight."

Yosuke made a face. "It ticks me off to hear Teddie say that stuff, but I don't wanna cause trouble doing my own thing in battle… Don't hesitate to order me around. I'm counting on you."

Yu had no idea how to respond to that, so she stayed silent.

…

…

When Yu, Yosuke, and Teddie found Chie, she was just standing there, staring off into nothing. She didn't respond to Yosuke when he called for her, she just stood there and stared.

"_**She said that red looks good on me…"**_

"Amagi-san?!" Yosuke looked around.

"That was definitely her…" Yu said, frowning. "But…"

"Where is she?" Teddie blinked.

Yukiko was nowhere to be seen…but her voice was loud and clear.

"_**I hated my name…Yukiko…'Snow'…Snow is cold and it melts quickly… It's transient…worthless…"**_ Her tone was so despondent and bitter. _**"But it's perfect for me… Apart from inheriting the inn, I'm worthless… Still…Chie told me that red looks good on me."**_

"Are these…Amagi-san's inner thoughts?" Yosuke asked. "I remember hearing Saki-senpai's, too…"

"Yeah," Teddie said with a nod. "This castle is probably here because of this Yukiko person."

"This is depressing…" Compared to Yosuke's reaction to hearing Saki's thoughts, Yukiko's deprecation of herself was on par…especially since Yu was able to see Chie's reaction.

"I…Yukiko…" Chie frowned.

"_**Chie was the only one who gave my life meaning…"**_ Yukiko's tone had completely changed. _**"She's bright and strong, and she can do anything… She has everything that I don't… Compared to Chie, I'm…I'm…"**_

Chie's eyes widened. "Wha?"

"_**Chie protects me…She looks after my worthless life…And I… I don't deserve any of it…Chie is so kind…so…perfect…"**_

"Yukiko, I-I…" Tears were streaming down Chie's cheeks.

"'**Chie is so kind,' huh? What a joke."**

"Wh-What…?!" Chie started wiping her face using the sleeves of her jacket. She looked straight ahead afterwards, her eyes widening when she saw something appear out of the shadows. It was her…only…with yellow eyes and a dark aura emanating from her body.

"Oh, man…Is that…?!" Yosuke felt uneasy…he was getting a major case of déjà vu from this.

"It's just like Yosuke!" Teddie frowned. "She lost control over her suppressed self! Now it's a Shadow!"

"**Are we talking about THAT Yukiko?!"** Shadow Chie's smile was twisted and her tone was derisive. **"She says I'm protecting her?! She says she's worthless!"**

Yu had never felt so disturbed in her entire life. "Ah…"

Shadow Chie chuckled.** "That's how it should be, right?"**

"Wh-What're you saying?" Chie was shocked.

"**Yukiko's sooo good-looking…sooo fair-skinned…sooo feminine…"** Shadow Chie's jealousy was evident in her tone. **"She's the one all the guys drool over. When Yukiko looked at me with such jealousy…Man, did I get a charge out of that…she even called me 'perfect'. Eheheh…Yukiko knows the score. She can't do anything if I'm not around…I'm better than her… Much, much better!"**

Chie shook her head furiously and stomped her foot on the ground. "No! I have never thought that!"

Yosuke didn't like where this was going. "Wh-What're we gonna do?!"

Yu held out her katana. "We need to protect Satonaka."

Teddie nodded in agreement. "We need to protect Chie-chan right now!"

Yu, Yosuke, and Teddie ran over to Chie. Chie immediately turned around and backed away from them.

"N-no, don't come near me!" Chie sounded genuinely scared. "Don't look at me!"

Yosuke frowned. "Satonaka, calm down!"

Chie didn't hear Yosuke. "No…No, this isn't me!"

"W-Wait, stupid!" Yosuke exclaimed. "Don't say anything else like that!"

Shadow Chie held her stomach as she chuckled. **"That's right. I'm the one who can't do anything alone…I can't win as a girl, let alone as a person… I'm pathetic. But Yukiko…she depends on me…That's why she's my friend… I'll never loosen my grip on her… I can't…not after that incident… She's too important to me to let go…"**

"No…that is not how I think of her…" Chie was growing frustrated.

Shadow Chie chuckled. **"So, you're just gonna turn your back and deny me again? Just like how you did to Yukiko when she needed you most?"**

"Shut up!" Chie snapped as she glared at her Shadow. "Don't you _dare_ say that!"

Shadow Chie scowled. **"But things are different now… When the time comes… I'll be the one left standing. You won't mind, right? I'm still you!"**

"I said, shut up!" Chie yelled. "You're…"

"Satonaka, no!" Yu exclaimed.

"Don't say it!" Yosuke exclaimed.

It was too late…Chie's emotions had gotten the best of her. "You're _not_ me!"

"**Heehee…Ahahahahahaha!"** Shadow Chie's warped laughter echoed throughout the room as the dark aura emanating from her grew much darker. The aura soon engulfed her as dark waves of energy spewed from her.

Chie's screams were the last things that Yu, Yosuke, and Teddie heard before everything went black. A few seconds later, the blackness disappeared and the whole room was tinted in an eerie, red light. Shadow Chie was no longer the same as before, now taking on a different form that suited her sudden aggression.

Shadow Chie took on the form of a dominatrix scantily clad in yellow leather. She wore long, yellow gloves that covered up to her upper arms and sharply heeled knee-length boots. Her face was covered by a cone-shaped yellow mask with a wicked smiley face drawn on it. She was supported by three puppets that resembled Chie and Yukiko in a school uniform.

The puppets all struggled to hold Shadow Chie in place while she sat on top. Long chains dangled in between her fingers on her right hand and in her left hand, she wielded a whip. Her extremely long black hair streamed out from under her mask and covered the floor behind her. Her hair was alive and trapped within black, moving locks, was Chie, who was dangling in the air, unconscious.

"Satonaka!" Yosuke yelled.

Shadow Chie laughed and struck her whip on the floor before taking on a more dominant pose. "I am a shadow…The true self…" She laughed as she watched Chie being squeezed by her hair.

"Aagh!" Chie gasped.

Yu scowled. "Let her go, bitch!"

SLASH!

Izanagi's naginata sliced the black hair binding Chie, freeing her. Yosuke was quick to run over to Chie and catch her as she fell down. Yosuke grunted as Chie's weight was rather heavy, what with the chainmail she was wearing.

Shadow Chie narrowed her eyes on Yu. **"What do you guys think you're doing? Trying to defend the 'real' me? Then you're going to pay the price!"**

Once Yosuke was sure Chie was fine, though out-cold, he glared at Shadow Chie. "Shut up! Quit being such a pain! Satonaka…just hang in there a little longer…"

Shadow Chie looked scornfully at Yosuke. **"Don't get in my way!"**

Shadow Chie's hair reached out for Yosuke and Chie with its knife-like ends. Izanagi intervened and blocked the ends with his naginata. Yu ran up to Yosuke and helped him out with Chie.

"**Ha…think you can stop me that easily?!" **Shadow Chie narrowed her eyes at Izanagi and lashed out at him with her whip. **"Time to teach you a lesson!"**

_Thwack!_

Izanagi was unfazed by the attack, but Yu wasn't as hardy. She felt the attack and it hurt. She nearly dropped Chie had it not been for Yosuke.

"You okay, Partner?" Yosuke looked concerned at Yu.

"I'm…okay…Izanagi!" Yu wanted Shadow Chie to pay for that attack… _"Hope you like Zio, bitch…"_

_Zap!_

Izanagi had just casted Zio on Shadow Chie, but it had barely any effect. She just laughed it off.**"Ahahahaha! How lame! You're all so deadly serious and we've only gotten started!"**

Shadow Chie's hair went for Izanagi, but Jiraiya blocked the attack with his shuriken. Though, unlike Izanagi, Jiraiya wasn't capable of fending off the sharp ends. In fact, Yosuke was feeling the pain…and it only took a few moments before Jiraiya was knocked back. Yosuke screamed as he lost his footing and fell onto the floor.

"Hanamura!" Yu exclaimed as she tightened her grip on Chie to keep her from falling onto the floor. This action, paired up with Yosuke's scream, was enough to rouse Chie from her unconscious state.

"Ugh…Hanamura?" Chie groaned. "What…?"

Yosuke's choked gasp woke up Chie fully. Her eyes snapped open and she ran over to Yosuke's side. Yosuke was having trouble breathing, but Chie had no idea why.

"What…what's going on?!" she exclaimed, turning to Yu for an answer.

Yu was looking at Jiraiya, who had become trapped within Shadow Chie's hair. It was the same as last time when Izanagi had been trapped under Shadow Yosuke's foreleg… She had to help Jiraiya, or else Yosuke would suffocate, assuming Shadow Chie didn't crush him to death before that. However, Yu was faced with a problem. Physical attacks didn't work and Shadow Chie only laughed off Izanagi's Zio attack.

"_What am I supposed to do?!"_ Yu tightened her grip on her katana.

"**Hey! Listen! Hey! Hey! Didn't you get another of us just some time ago?"** Pixie's voice echoed within Yu's head.

Yu blinked as a blue card floated in front of her. Pixie was indeed correct. Yu had obtained a new Persona not that long ago, but she had no idea what it was and what skills it knew…still, in such a situation…

"_Anything's better than nothing!"_ Yu grabbed the card and crushed it.

SMASH!

…

…

At first, Yu thought nothing had come out of that card. She almost thought the Persona had been a dud…that was until she heard a voice.

"**I am thou…and thou art I…"** the voice was feminine and gentle.

Yu turned around, her eyes widening as she saw a scantily black-clad young woman with white, feathery wings protruding from her back. She had long, blond hair and pale skin. She was blindfolded and had a chain attached to her black choker. Yu followed the chain and found that it was attached to her neck on a choker similar to the one the young woman wore.

"_That wasn't there before…"_ Yu thought as she touched the choker on her neck. "Who are you?"

The young woman smiled. **"I am Angel, one of the 'watchers' who never sleep… Are you in any need of assistance?"**

Yu directed Angel at Shadow Chie and somehow, despite the blindfold, Angel knew where to look. "I need to get her to release Jiraiya, otherwise Hanamura…"

"**Say no more…just give me the order and I'll attack…"** Angel moved in front of Yu.

Yu blinked as a name popped up in mind. "Garu?"

Angel smiled and flapped her wings once. A green tornado blasted Shadow Chie and her puppets. The lower puppet standing on the floor lost its footing and landed on its knees. The other two puppets had a more difficult time supporting Shadow Chie as she was now in a dazed state.

"She's weak to Garu skills!" Teddie exclaimed from the far corner of the room he was cowering in since the start of the battle. "Attack again, Sensei!"

"Angel!" Yu directed Angel for another attack.

Another green tornado blasted Shadow Chie and this time, Jiraiya was released from his bonds. Yu could hear Yosuke's gasps and turned to see him coughing. She smiled, very much relieved that Yosuke was breathing again…

With Yosuke breathing and in a much better state, Chie managed to calm down, though barely. She turned her attention to her Shadow and scowled as she watched her Shadow recover from her dazed state.

"**Urgh…Looks like you won't understand without a little pain!"** Shadow Chie yelled before whipping the floor. **"Scream for me!"**

The room darkened as bolts of lightning began to rain down from the ceiling. Each lightning strike was random and one almost hit Yosuke. Teddie was not as fortunate as Yosuke and was struck by lightning not once, but twice. The attack left Teddie rolling on the floor, dazed.

Angel shielded Yu with her wings from one bolt. Yu felt a pained jolt, but nothing too serious. Chie, on the other hand…wasn't doing so well. Chie just stood there, frozen in place. Her body trembled and her eyes were wide open in fear. She had almost gotten hit by a bolt of lightning, had it not been for Yu and, after switching Personas, Izanagi. That time, Yu only felt a small pinch.

"Are you okay, Satonaka?" Yu asked as she covered Chie. "Satonaka?"

"I…I…I'm scared…" Chie's voice almost cracked.

"**You're still there? How pathetic!"**

Yu tightened her hold on Chie. "Shut up!"

Chie's breath hitched. "Ah…"

"**Scared of a little lightning, aren't we?" **Shadow Chie laughed. **"Now that won't do! You should just bite the dust already. I promise to take care of Yukiko…as my foot stool!"**

Chie shuddered. "A stool?"

"**Fufufu…how else will I keep her close and in my sights?"** Shadow Chie tapped the whip into her palm as she just watched Yu and Chie.

_Tap! Tap! Tap!_

After the third tap, Shadow Chie closed her hand over the whip and gripped it tightly. **"Well?!"**

…

…

"**Hmph, useless as ever!"** Shadow Chie spat. **"Can't even come up with such a simple answer… How predictable from someone who can't even keep Yukiko safe—"**

"I told you to shut up!" Yu snapped as she helped Chie off the floor. Chie struggled to keep her footing, her body still trembling. Yu didn't like the state Chie was in…she had never seen the girl this scared…and it didn't help that her Shadow was making it worse for her.

Yu had to put a stop to this… "Hanamura, do something!"

"On it, Narukami!" Yosuke huffed, somewhat tired from dodging bolts of lightning. "Jiraiya!"

Jiraiya moved over to Shadow Chie, about ready to attack. However, Shadow Chie wasn't quite willing to be touched. When Jiraiya was close enough, she laughed and swiftly swung her foot in between Jiraiya's legs.

At that moment, Jiraiya's usually expressionless face mirrored the expression of genuine pain on Yosuke's face. Almost immediately, Yosuke landed face-first onto the floor as he clutched his groin.

"Ooh, critical hit to the nads…" Yu winced. _"That had to hurt…"_

"What's the safety word?" Yosuke groaned as tears welded up in the corners of his eyes.

"**Safety word?"** Shadow Chie laughed and cracked her whip. **"There is no safety word! Now kneel before me!"**

Shadow Chie pulled back her arm and prepared to strike Yosuke. Izanagi was quick to intercept the attack, using his naginata to divert the whip's path.

Shadow Chie growled angrily at Izanagi. **"You're so stubborn! Is she really worth all this?"**

Yu scowled at Shadow Chie and crushed a card in her hand. "She's worth putting up with your shit…Angel!"

Angel was quick to use Garu on Shadow Chie. The puppets supporting Shadow Chie collapsed under her weight once the green tornado struck them. Yu took the time to help Yosuke off the floor and then moved over to help Teddie, who was still rolling around on the floor.

"Sensei's so kind…" Teddie said in a disoriented tone.

Yu scowled at Teddie. "What the hell happened to you?"

Teddie blinked and frowned. "Teddie doesn't do so good against electricity…"

"Did you know?"

"No…"

…

…

Yu sighed. "Just…try to avoid getting hit again."

"I'll try!" Teddie exclaimed. "Now go get her, Sensei!"

Yu adjusted her glasses and turned her attention to Shadow Chie. Yosuke had managed to recover and was currently attacking Shadow Chie.

"This is for the critical hit to the nads!" Yosuke yelled as he bashed Shadow Chie over the head with both of his wrenches. "Who's the one in pain, now?!"

"**Ngh…"** Shadow Chie began to recover. **"Don't make fun of me… You're… You're nothing against me…!"**

Shadow Chie cracked her whip on the ground and a green light began to glow over her body and the puppets she sat on. Yosuke had Jiraiya cast Garu, but the attack had no significant affect on Shadow Chie this time around.

"What the?!" Yosuke was confused.

"Green wall raises wind resistance!" Teddie exclaimed. "And she's already resistance against physical attacks!"

Yosuke made a face. "Seriously?! Oh, crap…waugh!"

Shadow Chie's hair wrapped around Yosuke's neck. **"Looks like you won't understand without a little pain!"**

"Hanamura!" Yu, Chie, and Teddie all screamed for Yosuke's wellbeing.

"Geh…" Yosuke struggled to pull the tightly wrapped hair off his throat. He dropped his wrenches in the process.

Shadow Chie cackled. **"Scream for me!"**

"Hell…no…Jiraiya!" Jiraiya struggled to move, but managed to throw a shuriken at the hair wrapped around Yosuke's neck. Strands of raven black hair fell onto the floor as Yosuke gasped for air.

Shadow Chie stopped what she was doing momentarily, her gaze focused on the strands of black hair on the floor. Her eyes widened as she shrieked. **"****How DARE YOU! Why all this? For HER?!"**

Yosuke coughed. "Because she's our friend…"

Chie looked at Yosuke. "Hanamura…"

All those times she had mistreated him…and yet, he still considered her his friend…

Chie rubbed her eyes. "I'm sorry…"

"Save your apologies for later when this is all over," Yu said as she squeezed Chie's shoulders reassuringly. "We need to get you out of this first, before anything…"

"Thank you…" Chie said softly.

"**Are you guys idiots!? Why are you protecting her like that? She's nothing but a grubby bitch!"**

Yu scowled. "Shut the hell up!"

Shadow Chie growled, her anger now evident in her body language. She cracked her whip and long strands of hair moved off the ground, bladed ends pointed and ready to strike. **"Bottomless Envy!"**

Chie's eyes widened and she shrieked as she braced herself for the attack…but it never came. When she opened her eyes, Chie saw more strands of hair covering the floor. She looked up and saw that Jiraiya and Izanagi were slashing off any locks of hair that neared her and her friends.

Shadow Chie's screams grew louder as more strands of hair fell onto the floor. By now, Yu noticed something was off about Shadow Chie. She seemed to be…scared. Her attacks were erratic and inaccurate in aim. She had started attacking not by will or reaction, but fear.

"**Stop!"** she screamed. **"Stop it! Just die! Die already!"**

The puppets supporting Shadow Chie were starting to lose their strength. Her screams began to sound pained and it was at that moment that Yu realized the reason. Her hair…it was the source of all her strength.

"Hanamura!" Yu tried to catch Yosuke's attention. "Get Jiraiya to keep her busy!"

Yosuke looked questioningly at Yu. "Why?"

"Just do it!" Yu needed all the help she could get. Izanagi wasn't capable of cutting all of that hair himself without trouble…he needed someone to keep Shadow Chie at bay in the meantime.

Yosuke gave Jiraiya the orders and just like that, the plan went into actions. Shadow Chie was too preoccupied by Jiraiya to notice that Izanagi had been giving her a surprise haircut. Little by little, black hair flooded the floors in piles. By the time Shadow Chie had noticed, it was far too late. Jiraiya had cut off the last of her hair with a shuriken.

The sight of her long, black hair covering the floor was enough to make Shadow Chie drop her whip. **"No…"**

Tentatively, Shadow Chie reached to grab a lock of her hair. She couldn't…it was too short. Panic began to settle in as Shadow Chie tried desperately to prove that her hair's short length was anything but a fact. When that wasn't the case and the reality of it finally sunk in, the short-haired dominatrix clutched her head and shrieked.

**"NOOOO!"**

It almost pained Yu to hear how broken her voice had come to sound. Compared to the haughty and cruel tone her voice previously had to her current tone…it was a stark contrast. The haughty dominatrix had been broken. Even her puppets had finally given up on supporting their mistress and collapsed onto the ground. Black and red smoke began to rise from her disintegrating body.

Slowly, Shadow Chie returned to her original form. She sat on her knees, looking despondently at the strands of hair in her hands. Her hair was shorter than it was previously. It was choppy and uneven. Tears were welded up in the corners of her eyes.

"Are you okay, Satonaka?" Yosuke asked Chie.

Chie didn't know what to say. She was fine, but at the same time…she wasn't. She remembered things she didn't want to remember and she was told things that were not far from the truth. When her Shadow looked at her with wide, yellow eyes devoid of malice and resent, Chie frowned.

"What's the matter…?" she asked, sounding slightly defensive. "Got nothing to say anymore?"

Yosuke placed his hand on Chie's shoulder. "Stop it, Satonaka…it's all right."

"B-But…" Chie turned to face Yu, Yosuke, and Teddie (who had finally gotten out of the corner he was hiding in). She was shocked with how accepting they had been…even after seeing all the ugly things about her.

Yu looked at Chie reassuringly. "You're more than that thing…"

Chie was baffled. "B-But I…I…"

"He's right…I went through the same thing…" Yosuke never did let Yu go that into detail on what happened the other day on the fight with his Shadow. It had been personal, but now…after today's events, Yosuke was willing to open up…just for Chie's sake. "So I can understand… I mean… Everyone has a side like this…"

Chie tightened her fists and turned around to face her Shadow. It was now or never… She walked over to her Shadow and ignored her pounding heart. "Yeah…I kinda get it now. You are me…A side of me I couldn't forgive… That I tried to ignore and forget…but you still exist. You're a part of me…"

At those words, Chie's Shadow smiled happily. She closed her eyes as a blue light began to emit from her body until it disappeared into light. The instant it did, another figure replaced the Shadow. The figure floated in the air, staring at Chie. The figure resembled that of a female samurai armed with a double-bladed staff. She was dressed in a yellow and black outfit with white boots and a tall, white helmet. She had long, black hair that reach down to her waist.

The figure disappeared moments after, soon replaced by glowing card that floated gently into Chie's hands. Chie stared at the card, confused as to what thoughts had popped up in mind.

"The Chariot…" she said softly as the card disappeared into her being. "What is this…?"

"It's a Persona…" Yosuke replied.

"Persona…?" Chie blinked. "Tomoe Gozen…that's her name…I…" Chie rubbed the back of her head awkwardly. "Um…It's true that part of me feels that way…But I wasn't lying about being friends with Yukiko…!"

Yosuke laughed. "Like we didn't know that already…so what was this about being unable to protect her?"

Chie sniffed. "I…"

"It's okay…we're here for you…" Yu said softly. "You don't have to say anything if you don't want to…"

"I wasn't always like this…" Chie began.

Yu blinked. "What happened?"

"I used to have long hair, you know…" Chie said as she grabbed a strand of her brown hair. "And Yukiko…her hair was the longest between the two of us. She was so beautiful…so…perfect…"

"What happened?" Yosuke recalled how short Yukiko's hair had been…well, in comparison to how her hair length was now. Just hearing that her hair used to be much longer made him want to know what happened.

Chie hesitated. "I…I always watched out for her…at least, that's what I told myself until it happened."

"What happened?" that question was asked once more by both Yu and Yosuke.

Chie hugged herself. "Sadako…"

…

…

* * *

A/N End of chapter. Holy crap, look at dat chapter length! Dat long length…gotta love it! :3 I'm not sure if I'm compensating for the fact I haven't updated in a while or just because a lot of stuff happened in this chapter. Let's start out by introducing our Golden-exclusive character: Marie!

I've seen the original Persona 4 and I'm playing Golden…and I gotta say, Marie…I fucking love her. She's cute and she melds so well with the group.

Now for something else that's Golden-exclusive…turns out that Shadow Chie is resistant against physical attacks. They added that…and a big welcome back to skill cards~! They make my life easier, especially since this pretty neat thing was introduced that made Margaret's request much easier to fill out. Of course, I still need to get her that Neko Shogun with Bufula…meh…

And also—DOMINATRIX BANANAHEAD! Then Chie got a Persona! And also, that thing about the safety word…yeah, KD has a tendency to look stuff up and…yeah, I feel unclean, but mostly, embarrassed. I'm just a few weeks shy from turning eighteen and I already know a lot of stuff that I probably shouldn't—but who gives a damn? But yeah, if you want to know what Yosuke meant by safety word… You guys are on your own.

And that whole little reference to Sadako ended up turning into something much more… It just happened and I didn't plan on doing it until I remembered a certain series and thus, came to whole Yukiko-Sadako scenario, which I will delve into much deeply next chapter. And FYI, in _Persona 3 Portable_, the female route, Yukiko made a cameo. She was in her final year of middle school and her hair was very short…yeah…

I'll save my Major Arcana lesson for the next chapter since this is something I have to do alongside another certain Arcana. I will also explain the reason for Shadow Chie's hair being a key item in this battle and...It's 12 AM and I'm tired…and I have school tomorrow, I'm going to leave it at that.

Also…I'm back in America! Yeah…it feels good to be home. Well, that's about it. Feel free to review, I appreciate constructive criticism since it help, but flames are NOT WELCOMED! DX

Oh, and I managed to reach 50 reviews! ^^ It makes me feel special knowing that I'm halfway there to reaching 100! Thanks guys, you really know how to make a girl happy!

Oh, and a big shout out to UnstableFable, who I have managed to create a Social Link with…I think we're on rank three? I dunno, all I can say…she's effing awesome.

And for anonymous reviewer, The Man…dude, you have no idea how much your review made my day. It's a shame you reviewed anonymously, because I really wanted to reply to that review…

Well, time to wrap it up~! Till next time, readers! KD out! XD


	9. The Investigation Team

_Yukiko looked at her reflection in the mirror as she combed her long hair. She rarely had free time, so she was making the best of it by tending to the one aspect that she liked about herself…or rather, that Chie liked. In truth, Yukiko liked Chie's hair better than her own. At least Chie's hair had a nice color. Hers was just pitch black…_

"_**But Chie said she likes my hair…"**__ Yukiko smiled faintly._

_**PI PI PI PI PI PI PI!**_

_Yukiko stopped combing her hair and reached into her pocket to pull out her cell phone. She had just received a text message. From whom, Yukiko didn't know…and some part of herself told her to leave it be._

"_**Should I…?"**__ Yukiko bit her lip and flipped open her cell phone. Her first thought upon reading the text message was that she should have listened to that part of herself that told her to ignore it. Frustrated, Yukiko closed her cell phone and tried her best to ignore what had just happened._

_Though, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't forget about the text message. By now, the message had been burned into her memory…and she hated it._

_**PI PI PI PI PI PI PI!**_

_Yukiko received another text message, but she ignored it this time. She wasn't falling for it again…_

_**PI PI PI PI PI PI PI!**_

_Yukiko tightened her grasp on her comb. She could care less about the teeth that dug into the palm of her hand. The pain from it was nothing compared to the feeling she felt every time she read or heard those words aimed at her. Those words that never wanted to leave her alone, no matter how hard she tried to get away from it._

_**Seven days…**_

…

…

…

* * *

Some time had passed since Yu and Yosuke brought Chie out of the TV World. It was just their luck that, moments after leaving the TV World, Hansuke would be looking around for his son and his friend to take over the shifts of two part-time employees who failed to show up at their appointed times. It was for that reason that Yu and Yosuke were wearing their work clothes at the Junes food court.

The incident that Yosuke had caused in the food court had actually attracted more customers that were curious to see if any damage had been done. For that exact reason, the food court had been packed with many customers. During that time, Yosuke had been giving out suggestions pertaining to what was sold at the food court. Yu had been left in charge of distributing balloons to the children and keeping them busy while their parents were occupied with other things.

The amount of parents willing to leave their children with a complete stranger who hadn't even been in Inaba for a full seven days had stunned Yu.

"_Are parents that neglectful of their children?"_ was a thought that popped up in Yu's mind as she was pulled from left to right by the children.

For Yosuke, it was an amusing sight to see his Partner surrounded by children. It almost made up for the fact that customers kept probing him for information about the incident that had occurred earlier because of him.

"It was just a misunderstanding!" or "They were fakes!" were phrases that Yosuke couldn't help but repeat. There was even a time he had to debunk a rumor that had nothing to do with the incident, but rather something completely different involving biker gangs. Of course, Yu did most of the work debunking that rumor. Though, Yosuke couldn't help but worry about the tone and word choice Yu had when it came to doing that. Yosuke just hoped that nothing bad would come out of that scenario…

As for what happened to Chie, Hansuke had taken care of her by taking her to the Junes employee nap room. The main reason why Yu and Yosuke had brought Chie out of the TV World was because of how exhausted she had become after confronting her Shadow. She literally couldn't take another step without collapsing.

The explanation Hansuke had received as to why Chie had been so exhausted was because she had been searching everywhere for her friend, Yukiko, whom had gone missing as of recently. Hansuke accepted the explanation without question. From there, Yu and Yosuke had one less thing to worry about.

Hours later, the amount of customers started to decrease, much to the relief of Yosuke and especially Yu. Yu had been tugged from just about every direction by the children. She was amazed how polite she had been to the parents that came to pick up their children.

Yu was ignoring the urge to pull off the little boy that decided to latch onto her back. The boy looked around Nanako's age and seemed to be around her height as well, give or take an inch. He was the last child she was watching over and he was currently pulling at Yu's face. Needless to say, Yu wasn't quite amused.

"You look busy…" Yosuke said with a smile as he walked by Yu.

"Hmm…" Yu made a face.

"Yuu-kun!" a voice called out.

Almost at once, the little boy stopped pulling at Yu's face as a young woman approached Yu. The young woman had wavy brown hair and brown eyes. She wore a brownish purple peacock coat over a pink dress with dark pink slippers.

"Yuu-kun, I've been looking everywhere for you!" The young woman clasped her hands together in an almost timid manner. "You could have at least told me where you were going…"

It took Yu a few seconds to realize the young woman had been talking to the little boy latched onto her back. By now, the little boy was no longer latching onto Yu's back and, instead, had taken to hiding behind her.

The young woman looked nervously at Yu. "I hope my son hasn't caused you any trouble…"

"Oh, he hasn't…" Yu decided to ease the young woman's nerves by leaving out the fact her son had been pulling at her face… The young woman looked worried enough as is.

The young woman sighed and smiled. "Come on, Yuu-kun, let's go home."

"It's _Yuuta_!" the little boy snapped. "Don't call me Yuu-kun…"

…

…

"So your name's Yuuta?" Yu looked down at Yuuta.

Yuuta nodded his head. "Uh-huh…is there something wrong with that?"

Yu smiled. "Not really…it's just that I didn't really get your name earlier. I know it's a little late, but it's nice to meet you. My name is Yu!"

"Oh, so your names are almost the same," the young woman remarked. "How interesting…thank you for watching over Yuuta… Say goodbye to Mister Yu."

Yuuta hesitated at first, but did as he was told before running off. The young woman sighed and followed after her son, but not before saying goodbye to Yu. Once they were out of sight, Yu walked over to the nearest chair and sat down.

"Ugh…I better get a bonus for this…" Yu was exhausted.

"Consider it done."

Yu blinked and turned her head to the side to see Hansuke. "How long have you been there?"

Hansuke chuckled. "Long enough…I just came to bring your friend back…Satonaka, was it?"

Yu nodded. "Yeah…"

"Huh, so that's the girl Yosuke keeps talking about…" Hansuke mused as he looked back at Chie. She was sitting by herself at a table. "So…how close are they?"

"What?" Yu said flatly.

Hansuke crossed his arms. "Is she and Yosuke…you know?"

"What?! NO!" Yosuke had been nearby when he heard his father ask Yu that.

"C'mon, I was just asking…" Hansuke said with an innocent smile. "You always keep going on about how she—"

"Don't say another word!" Yosuke literally got in between Yu and Hansuke.

"I'm just curious about your love life, whether it exists or not." Hansuke rubbed the back of his head.

Yosuke scowled. "Dammit, Dad, shut up! You're embarrassing me!"

Amusing as it was to hear this father and son duo talk with each other, Yu had decided to sit somewhere else, preferably, by Chie. Chie looked rather depressed and it hurt Yu to see her looking like that. Just sitting there, looking as if she had been defeated. She almost looked ashamed, even. Though, considering the turn of events, Yu wouldn't blame Chie for being like that. She just wished that Chie would stop beating herself up.

"You did what you could, Satonaka," Yu said reassuringly as she sat down by Chie. "Worry about yourself for once. You need to rest if you want to save Amagi-san."

"I'm scared…" Chie finally spoke. Her eyes were beginning to glisten with unshed tears. "Yukiko could die the next time it gets foggy and knowing that, my body still gave out on me. I'm so pathetic…I can't stand it!"

"You're not pathetic…" Yu said simply.

Chie looked questioningly at Yu. "Huh?"

"Just think about what you've done so far," Yu explained. "You went in by yourself, despite telling you to stay close. You could have died, you know…but you didn't."

"Sorry about that…" Chie averted her gaze. "It's just…I can't let Yukiko go through all that again by herself. I thought I learned last time, but I guess I haven't…"

Yu sighed. "It's not that you failed to learn from last time, it's more that you and Amagi-san went in the wrong direction. There is a reason your Shadow was a dominatrix…"

"Please don't bring that up…" Chie blushed as she recalled her Shadow's _peculiar_ form. "I can't believe I have that inside me…"

"Don't worry, this is the last time I'll mention the dominatrix motif." At least, Yu hoped it would be the last time. "But before that, let me clear up that misconception… You are _not_ a closeted dominatrix."

"But that thing was me…" Chie bit her lip.

Yu resisted the urge to face palm. "Look, that Shadow was a representation of what you were _denying_—symbolically. Now stop thinking you're a closeted dominatrix bananahead."

…

…

"Come again?" Chie was confused.

"Sorry, but it's just that the mask and the color…" Yu rubbed the back of her head.

"Not that!" Chie snapped. "What you said before it…"

Yu blinked. "Well, it's only a theory I have, but if I'm correct, there is a reason behind your Shadow's peculiar appearance…"

"And that is…?" Chie looked questioningly at Yu.

"Since the incident involving her long hair, Amagi-san has become rather dependent on you." Yu crossed her arms. "Your fear of letting her out of your sight has only managed to cultivate this dependence up to the point where you have actually become addicted to this dependency."

Chie made a face. "What do you mean?"

"Emotionally, you control the friendship, which explains your Shadow's appearance as the dominatrix theme brings physical form to the emotional bondage felt by you and Amagi-san," Yu continued. "That, in turn, reflects just how your friendship with Amagi-san has developed since that incident. Neither of you have actually recovered as your friendship has developed into something that caused more harm than good to both of you. Unless you change the way your friendship with Amagi-san has developed since then, you two will never recover."

…

…

"I never knew…" Chie held her head in her hands. "I was just scared…I couldn't let that happen to her again…and yet, look what happened. Yukiko thinks she's worthless… I'm not as strong as she thinks. The truth is I can't do anything if she's not around… That's what I want to tell her…she needs to know."

"Then you'll tell her that when we save her," Yu said with a smile.

Chie looked at Yu. "Huh?"

"Now that you have a Persona, you can fight with us," Yu explained. "So you can tell her what she needs to know yourself when we save her. You do want to help, right?"

"Of course I do!" Chie's response was immediate. "So when do we go?"

"It all depends on how you feel after today," Yu replied. "And remember, don't push yourself. It'd be much better for us all if you had your strength back. I promise you, we'll save Amagi-san before it gets foggy—and Satonaka…?"

"Y-Yeah?" Chie looked questioningly at Yu.

Yu smiled. "This is why you're not pathetic."

"Uh…t-thank you, Narukami…" Chie blushed. "Uh…you can call me, 'Chie', if you want…"

Words could not describe how adorable Yu found Chie as she watched the short-haired girl twiddle her fingers and avert her gaze. "Well, then…you can call me, 'Yu'…Chie."

"You know, there's something different about you…" Chie remarked as she smiled at Yu. "I feel like you won't let me down…"

Yu sensed Chie's gratitude to her. She could feel a faint bond forming between her and Chie. Time seemed to stop at that very moment when Yu realized she could hear Chie's heart beating. It was just like that time she and Yosuke shook hands…

_Smash!_

Yu blinked as a blue card appeared before her eyes. The back of the card looked a lot like the one she and Yosuke had, but as soon as it flipped over, Yu noticed the difference. The image on the card was of a king leading a chariot made up of two differently colored horses. There was a roman numeral on it of the number seven. Yu's eyes widened as a voice echoed in her mind.

**"Thou art I… And I am thou…**

**Thou hast established a new bond…**

**It brings thee closer to the truth…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating**

**Personas of the Chariot Arcana…"**

The card disappeared into a blue light that entered Yu's chest. She could feel the power inside her heart strengthening from the bond she had officially established with Chie just now. Chie was her second Social Link…her second friend.

Yu smiled. _"Friend…I like it."_

"Why are you smiling?" Chie arched her brow at Yu.

"It's because of what you said!" Yu laughed. "It was adorable!"

Chie blushed. "W-What?!"

Yu was definitely going to enjoy being friends with Chie. For now, it looked like Yosuke and Hansuke had stopped talking to each other, which meant that it was back to work for Yu. Yu just hoped that her shift would be over soon. Today's events in the TV World and her child-filled shift were starting to take its toll on her rather hard…

But before that, Yu had almost forgotten something. "Hey, Chie…can I have your number?"

"What?" Chie blinked.

"It's for the investigation…I mean, how else will we stay in touch?" Yu pulled out her cell phone.

Chie blinked again and nodded. "Oh…right. You'll need this from now on, huh?"

And so Yu and Chie exchanged cell numbers. That made Chie the third person in Yu's contact list… Yu was quite content with her progress.

…

…

* * *

Yu, however, was not content with how awkward the tension between her and Dojima on the car ride back to the Dojima residence. It was made even awkward when Dojima tried to strike up a conversation with Yu.

"So you and the Junes boy…you two are pretty close," Dojima remarked.

Yu blinked and made a face. "Are you implying something?"

"What? No!" Dojima made a mental note to carefully word his comments from now on. "Just…never mind…"

"_Oh, god, this is too awkward!"_ Yu made a face. She needed to ease the tension…_now_. "You don't mind if I make ginger pork again for dinner tonight…" Yu was hoping to make lunch for herself tomorrow. She might even make Nanako a bento if she had the time, which was most likely the case.

"I really don't mind what you make for dinner," Dojima replied. "And Nanako's happy with whatever you cook. You're a great cook, Yu."

"Thank you," Yu said softly.

Back at the Dojima residence, Yu, Nanako, and Dojima were having ginger pork for dinner. The three were watching the news on the television.

"_**That's all for world news tonight. Coming up next, the local news."**_

"Hmm…" A small bead of sweat rolled down the side of Yu's face as Dojima stared at her. He was quiet with a stern expression on his face. His stare was making her feel rather uncomfortable… She tried to ignore it as she ate her dinner.

"Hey…" Dojima finally spoke. "Mind if I ask something?"

Yu swallowed hard. "Uh…sure…?"

Dojima arched his brow. "You aren't getting involved with any strange business, are you…?"

"_Shit, he's on to me…"_ Yu needed to think of an excuse.

"What happened at the station this afternoon…it's still bothering me…" Dojima noticed that Yu looked tense. "Is there…anything you're not telling me?"

"Of course not," Yu was surprised with how calmly she responded. _"At least I didn't make myself look anymore suspicious…hopefully…"_

Dojima stared at Yu for a few seconds before saying, "…I see."

Yu sighed. "Should I be concerned?"

"What? No!" Dojima's eyes widened. "It's just that it's been nagging at me, that's all…Sorry…"

"What's wrong?" Nanako frowned and placed her bowl on the table. "Are you fighting…?"

Dojima tensed. He had almost forgotten about Nanako… "No…We're not having a fight…"

Nanako furrowed her brows. "This isn't the police station…"

Yu was actually touched to see her younger cousin actively defending her. _"That's all she's been doing…defending me."_

Yu had never felt so safe before until now…and she liked the feeling. She actually had someone to make her feel safe…

"_Like back then…"_ Yu bit her lip. She hated the pain that came when she recalled certain memories of her life.

"See? You're making him feel bad!" Nanako's voice snapped Yu out of her thoughts. "Are you okay?"

"Huh?" Yu blinked, finding it weird that her eyes were suddenly burning.

Nanako frowned. "You're crying."

Upon hearing that, Yu noticed how moist her eyes were. "Ah…sorry, I just…this has never happened before…"

At least, not in such a long time…

Yu quickly wiped her eyes. "Sorry…"

"No, I'm sorry…I'm just worried about you." Dojima sighed. "I agreed to look after you. So don't get yourself involved in anything that could get you into trouble."

Yu diverted her eyes to the side. _"Heh…where were you when I needed this? You're a little too late…"_

"Did you get that, Yu?" Dojima arched his brow.

Yu nodded her head. _"I can't make any promises, but I'll try…"_

With that out of the way, Yu, Nanako, and Dojima went back to eating dinner.

"_**And now, our weather forecast. Due to high-pressure fronts from the west, that sunny spring-like weather will stay with us for a while longer."**_

Nanako turned to Dojima. "Is this lady the one who decides the weather?" Nanako's question was innocent, yet a bit confusing for Yu and Dojima. All attention was on her as she waited for someone to answer her question. When she had yet to receive an answer, Nanako decided to explain. "'Cause when she says that it'll be sunny, it always is…"

"Uh, she's not really deciding it…" Dojima smiled awkwardly. When he saw Nanako tilt her head in question, Dojima sighed and shook his head. "…Never mind."

"Hmm…?" Nanako blinked.

The news continued, heedless of the heavy atmosphere…

…

…

After dinner, Yu had planned on taking a bath, but a phone call asking for her had put that plan on hold. Yu could only wonder who would be asking for her at this hour. Though, the second she put the phone to her ear, she instantly wished she hadn't. In fact, she wished she wasn't home at this moment.

"_**It's me, Morooka. I have something that I've prepared just for you."**_

Yu blanched. _"Oh, god, why?"_

"_**I was going to deliver it to your house—"**_

"_Oh god, no…!"_ Yu made a face.

"—_**but the situation's changed. I need you to come pick it up."**_

"_Okay, that's slightly better…"_ Yu sighed. "Okay, where are you?"

"_**Er, where am I? I was getting to that!"**_

Yu held the phone away from her ear. Morooka was rather loud… _"Goddamn, King Moron, no need to yell…ow…"_

"_**Ahem, I am in front of the gas station at the shopping district. You got that? Now hurry up and come pick it up!"**_

Morooka was quick to hang up with that said. Yu let out a shaky breath and hung up the phone. She was just glad that Morooka didn't call her from her cell phone at this point.

"_It could be worse…"_ Yu refrained from thinking what exactly could be worse. Instead, she turned to her uncle and decided to break the news to him.

Dojima turned away from an article in the newspaper he was reading to look at Yu. "Who called you just now? Don't tell me you're planning on going out at this hour."

Yu made a face. "My homeroom teacher needs to see me…why, I don't know. Truth be told, I don't want to go, but I don't want to make him mad."

"Your homeroom teacher wants to see you?" Dojima arched his brow at Yu. "You just transferred here, and you've already done something?"

"_Shit, King Moron's probably getting on my case for what I did on my first day…" _A small bead of sweat rolled down the side of Yu's face. _"Though, to be fair, I could've done worse…"_

This sort of phone call from her homeroom teacher wasn't exactly the first phone call Yu had ever received in all of her years as a student in school. The only reason Dojima wasn't aware of that fact was because Yu's mother didn't know about it herself. Neither of Yu's parents knew of the phone calls from school because neither of them was home to hear said phone calls. Of course, Yu was hoping they would hear one of those phone calls at least once…just to get some attention.

"_But I guess it's too much to ask for…" _Yu had grown used to it. "Sorry…"

Dojima shook his head. "No…this is you we're talking about. Go."

Yu blinked. "Excuse me?"

"I understand," Dojima replied. "Go take care of business and hurry back home."

Yu blinked again. "Ah…thank you."

"Just don't get used to it," Dojima said firmly. "I rather not have Adachi getting on your case again…sorry about that."

"I've gotten over it…" _Somewhat_, Yu added mentally.

…

…

When Yu finally arrived at Morooka's location, she was surprised to see him talking to a female student who was still wearing her uniform at this hour.

"_Is this what he meant about the situation changing?"_ Yu thought as she slowly approached Morooka and the female student. She had no idea what she was getting herself into and judging by the female student's expression, Morooka was on her case. What for, Yu didn't know.

"But it's not a lie! I really am on the way home from cram school! I can go home by myself! I wasn't trying to stay out and party!" And now she did.

Yu was quite hesitant to even say anything to Morooka at this point. Of course, it was now or never and Yu was exhausted. After mustering up enough courage, Yu tapped Morooka on the shoulder to get his attention.

"Oh, you're here." Morooka's stare made Yu feel uncomfortable. "Sooner than I expected! This is the school jersey I got for you! Go on, take it!"

Yu stared blankly at Morooka as he handed her the aforementioned school jersey. The jersey was neatly folded and sealed tightly in plastic. _"I came all the way over here for a freaking jersey?"_

"Now that you've got it, get the hell out of here!" Morooka barked at Yu before turning his attention back at the female student. "I need to see this girl home! You know the way to your own house, don't you?"

Yu had an unsettling feeling that Morooka was going to see her home as well if she didn't get going soon. Since she had finished her business with Morooka, Yu decided to make her way back home…as quickly as she could. And she did just that.

…

…

Moments after Yu entered the house and closed the door behind her, Dojima's voice greeted her as she made her way into the kitchen.

"You're home," he remarked. "So, what was it?"

"This." Yu made a face as she held out her Yasogami High jersey for Dojima to see.

"Huh?" Dojima was perplexed. "You were given a school jersey? That's it? He could've just given you that at school…"

"You think I don't know that?" Yu tossed her jersey onto the table. Whatever discomfort she had earlier had been replaced with anger and annoyance towards Morooka.

Dojima sighed. "Well, I guess telling you that isn't helping… School's tough enough as it is. With these incidents going on, everyone's on edge…"

"No shit…" Yu muttered under her breath as she made her way upstairs. "I'm taking a bath…"

…

…

* * *

Steam filled the room as hot water poured from the faucet and filled the tub. Yu leaned over the back of the toilet to open the small window on the far wall to allow the excess steam to escape. The mirror had already started to fog, leaving Yu to stare at her blurred, shirtless reflection as she waited for the tub to finish filling.

Yu's expression dimmed as she looked at the bandages wrapped around her chest. Yosuke had come so close to discovering Yu's true gender and yet…it never happened. Of course, Yu was androgynous in appearance to begin with, so that didn't really help. The only thing that Yosuke noticed about her from the start was how short and slender she was.

"_And he just __**loves**__ pointing it out…"_ Though, Yu did find Yosuke's concern for her well-being rather touching. It had been a while since anyone had actually paid attention to her in such a manner. Not even the school nurse at her last school showed that much concern. _"In hindsight, maybe I shouldn't have gotten on her bad side…"_

Yu sighed and decided to turn the water off before the tub overfilled. The last thing she wanted to do was make a mess…

…

…

…

Yu's eyes flickered shut as she leaned back against the tiled wall of the tub, allowing her muscles to relax under the heat of the water. She opened her eyes when she heard quiet bubbling, and glanced at Nanako, who sat across from her in the tub. Nanako was blowing bubbles under the water, something that Yu found adorable.

"Don't drink the water, okay?" Yu laughed as Nanako glared at her.

"I won't!" Nanako insisted. "Geez…"

Yu chuckled. "I'm just teasing you."

Nanako diverted her gaze. "Hmph…"

Yu stopped smiling. "What's wrong?"

"When I was washing your back, I saw something…" Nanako replied. "Are you okay? You're not hurt, are you?"

Yu sighed. She should have known Nanako would have noticed… "It's nothing, really…"

Nanako frowned. "You didn't answer my question. Are you okay or not…? If you're not okay, tell me so I can help."

"Thank you, Nanako…" Yu smiled warmly at her cousin. "But really, I'm fine."

"If you say so…" Nanako was still unconvinced.

Yu ran her hand through her hair. "Say…can you do me a favor?"

Nanako nodded her head. "Sure…"

"Don't tell your father or anyone about what you saw…" Yu looked down at the water.

Nanako smiled. "…Okay! I promise!"

"Thank you…" Yu reached over and gently ruffled Nanako's hair. "You're cute, you know that?"

"I'm not cute!" Nanako protested, lightly swatting Yu's hand away.

"Say what you want, I still think you're cute," Yu said before sticking her tongue out at Nanako.

Nanako pouted and splashed Yu with some of the bath water. Yu just laughed.

…

…

* * *

Dojima wasn't surprised one bit to see his nephew and daughter sleeping together when he returned from the station. He had grown used to the sight by now and actually found it rather adorable. He was tempted to take a picture of the scene.

"_If only I can find that damn camera…"_ Dojima scratched the back of his head. _"Where did I leave it…?"_

…

…

* * *

_Sunday, April 17th, 2011_

_It's been almost a week since I first arrived in Inaba and so much has happened since that first day. I've made friends and…I got involved in a situation that probably isn't the best of situations to be involved with when your uncle is a detective. Thankfully, I have Nanako…she's like the little sister I never had. She's actually someone I can confidently consider as family, next to Dojima._

_Dojima really surprised me today during dinner. It's just…I never had anyone talk to me that way…at least, not in a while. It still hurts to remember the person who was there for me. I was always afraid of making friends because I never knew how long I was staying around before my parents' job required us to move again. And yet, Senpai was the one who moved away instead of me. Senpai transferred to a different high school and I…I was left behind._

…

_Chie Satonaka of the Chariot Arcana…the first person I have ever called by their first name without any honorifics who isn't Nanako. It's been a while, so it feels weird. That might just be because of what happened in the TV World… That yellow dominatrix bananahead…yeah, no comment._

_I hope Amagi-san's doing well. Chie was so worried about her and after hearing about what those two have gone through…It's still hard to believe it happened. Time heals all wounds, but not always. Those two are still hurting from that incident. Chie will never recover without Amagi-san…_

_Sometimes, I feel jealous of others who have the luxury of having childhood friends. Hanamura and Chie may not be childhood friends, but they're still friends. I hope Amagi-san and I can be friends as well. I mean, we're still just acquaintances at this point._

_I can at least say that Hanamura and I are much closer than before. Of course, we're still not on a first-name basis, but hey, I'm not complaining. However, I could complain about how damn nosy people in this town can be. Seriously, biker gangs? Where the hell did that come from out of something that involved Hanamura just being an idiot in the food court? Biker gangs are not THAT stupid._

_I feel sorry Hanamura having to put up with that… Still, that was nothing compared to being tugged at by children. Really, are parents that neglectful of their children? I mean, of all places, why Junes? It's not a daycare!_

_At least Yuuta was adorable…and I did get a bonus, so it wasn't that bad. Though, after the incident in the TV World and then having to go through that…I'm exhausted. I'm practically falling asleep as I'm writing this entry._

…

_Nobody has figured it out yet and Hanamura is such a blockhead. It still was rather sweet of him to ask if I was all right… He reminds me of Senpai, only…Senpai would have never done something as stupid as the food court incident that Hanamura had caused. Sharper than a golf club, indeed…_

* * *

…

…

The next day at school, Yosuke and Yu were spending whatever little time they had talking to each other before classes began.

"I wonder how Satonaka is doing," Yosuke said as he looked at Chie's empty seat. "Too much stuff happened yesterday."

Yu sighed. "Tell me about it…"

Yosuke crossed his arms. "I hope she's back to her usual self…"

At that moment, Chie entered the classroom. Almost immediately, Chie felt nervous as she noticed that Yu and Yosuke were looking right at her. She tried to ignore their stares as she walked over to them.

"Oh, mornin'," she managed to say calmly.

"Did you sleep well?" Yu asked.

Chie nodded. "Yep. Right after I came back home from Junes, I knocked out until this morning…Um…Thanks for everything yesterday."

Yosuke was surprised to see Chie act this way. "Satonaka…"

Chie blushed. "It's kinda embarrassing, ya know? You two were right there to see my hidden feelings and all…"

Yosuke grinned. "Don't sweat it."

"If it makes you feel any better, the same thing happened to Hanamura," Yu remarked.

"Really?" Chie arched her brow. "Soooo…what was it like?"

"Uhhh, how should I put this…" Yosuke placed his hand on his forehead. Suddenly, he turned his attention to Yu. "Oh, I nearly forgot! None of that happened when yours awakened, huh?"

Yu looked blankly at Yosuke. _"Don't change the subject…"_

Yosuke crossed his arms and thought for a moment. "Hmmm, could that be because you've got nothing to hide?"

Yu diverted her eyes to the side. _"If only you knew…"_

Chie blinked. "Oh? So nothing happened for you?"

"Unless you count getting licked by a Shadow as something…" Yu remarked. "Then no…"

Yosuke grimaced. "Please don't remind me…"

Chie tilted her head to the side as she looked at Yu. "Well, I gotta agree that you seem like a pretty open guy."

Yu was growing uncomfortable with the irony in Chie's comment. Her initial indifference to the consequences from masquerading as the male gender was starting to wane. _"I just wanted someone to notice…"_

"There's a funny air about you…" Chie continued. "I dunno, I guess that's what draws people to you, or something like that."

"Want me to bare it all?" Yu said plainly.

Chie's eyes widened. "Wha—Hey, what're you talking about?!"

Yosuke grabbed Yu's shoulders. "Don't do it! You'll get arrested again!"

Yu's expression was blank. "I'm sorry, but who thought bringing something sharper than a golf club into a food court was a smart idea?"

Chie laughed. "He's got you there, Hanamura!"

Yosuke scowled. "Shut up!"

Upon seeing Yosuke's expression, Yu couldn't help but laugh. Yosuke looked at Chie and Yu and sighed.

"Anyways, what's most important right now is to rescue Yukiko," Chie said once she and Yu stopped laughing. "I'm dead set on coming. Remember… You promised."

At that moment, the bell rang. Normally, Yosuke would have sat down in his seat, but he just remembered something…

"Oh crap, I still haven't gone to the bathroom!" Yosuke exclaimed before running out of the classroom.

Yu sighed. "Still eloquent as ever…"

Chie nodded. "He never changes."

…

…

"Helloooo and good afternooooon, all!"

Yu stared wide-eyed at the male teacher standing at the front of the class. He wore a red track suit and was definitely full of energy.

"My name is Kondo, your P.E. teacher!" he exclaimed. "But since no one at this school teaches English, I'll be doubling up my roles!"

The entire class was silent.

"…Don't be so disappointed," Kondo said reassuringly. "In fact, I've spent some time overseas!"

Yu sighed. _"Well, there's some hope, then."_

"One week of vacation time, to be exact!" Kondo added.

Yu made a face. _"And there it goes…"_

Kondo grinned widely. "But that's more than enough to teach a class! Hahaha!"

Yu narrowed her eyes. _"I don't think so…"_

"We'll start with the basics of the basics: the English alphabet!" Kondo looked around the classroom. "It starts with A, then B, then C, and then…twenty-three more! Maybe that was a little too basic? Hahaha! All right! I'll give you an alphabet-related pop quiz, then! Let's see…Narukami!"

Yu was quick to stand up. "Huh?"

"The word 'alphabet' comes from the words 'alpha' and what other one?" Kondo asked.

Yu blinked. "Beta."

Kondo grinned. "Good! That's correct! It comes from the first two letters of the Greek alphabet, alpha and beta. By the way, any set of western European characters in a specific order is called an alphabet. In Japan, when we say 'alphabet' we're talking about the English alphabet, but it doesn't always mean the English one!"

Yu sighed and sat down in her seat. _"Huh, you learn something new every day."_

…

…

Yu unpacked her bento and smiled when she recalled the look on Nanako's face when the little girl received her own bento. Yu had woken up early to make a bento for Nanako with leftovers from yesterday's dinner. There was enough to make a bento for Dojima, who was still at home, and for herself.

Just as Yu was about ready to eat her bento, Yosuke slammed his forehead into his desk and groaned. A small bead of sweat rolled down the side of Yu's face as she turned to Yosuke.

"Ah…Hanamura?" Yu said nervously. "Are you okay…?"

Yosuke lifted his face off his desk. "No…I forgot my wallet at home so I don't have any money to buy lunch…think you have any money to spare?"

"I have a better idea…" Yu replied as she looked at her bento.

A few moments later on the rooftop, Yosuke found himself staring at Yu as she used her chopsticks to hold out a piece of ginger pork for him.

"What are you doing?" Yosuke had a faint idea what Yu was doing, but he needed to be sure, first.

"Feeding you…" Yu said plainly.

Yosuke made a face. "Dude…just no…"

Yu's left eye twitched. "Tch, don't be such a baby, Hanamura. Just eat the damn piece of meat. Is there a problem with that?"

"We're both guys!" Yosuke snapped as he inched away from Yu.

Yu scowled. "It's just you and me up here. You have no money, your stomach just growled, and I'm offering you food—take it, you idiot!"

Before Yosuke could say anything else, Yu grabbed his chin and forcefully fed him the piece of ginger pork she had been offering him. She immediately released Yosuke afterwards and watched him closely as he began to chew and then swallow.

"Well…?" Yu said as she looked expectantly at Yosuke. "How do you like it?"

"That…was good," Yosuke replied. "Is this your recipe, Narukami? I mean—what the hell was that for?!"

"You wouldn't eat…" Yu said as if it was obvious. "Now are you going to cooperate and eat this time…? Or do I have to use force again?"

Yosuke blanched. "I'll…cooperate…"

Yu smiled and held out another piece of ginger pork to Yosuke. "Now open up."

…

"_This is so wrong…"_ Yosuke thought as he chewed. _"But this is so good…"_

"I'll make sure to bring an extra pair of chopsticks next time," Yu said. "Just in case this happens again… I'd rather not have you eating with your hands and I doubt you'd want to share chopsticks anyway, so this will have to do for now."

"You could have just given me money…" Yosuke muttered as he turned away from Yu.

"Yes, but then you'd have to owe me and I rather just share my lunch," Yu explained. "Besides, you made me breakfast once…I thought it'd be a nice way to return the favor."

Yosuke blinked. "Oh, yeah, your hangover and Nanako…"

Yu slapped her forehead. "Crap, I forgot to return your uniform…"

Yosuke laughed. "Don't worry about it…just don't force-feed me again… You can be scary, Narukami."

"_You have no idea just how scary I can be…"_ Yu thought as she placed a mouthful of rice into her mouth.

"We're going to Junes today…" Yosuke suddenly said.

Yu looked questioningly at Yosuke as she chewed. "Hmm…?"

"You promised, Narukami…" Yosuke explained. "And don't you want to keep to your promise as soon as possible?"

"What are you talking about?" Yu asked after swallowing. "I thought we were already going to Junes after school."

"Huh?" Yosuke was confused.

Yu sighed. "Hanamura, I'm not leaving Amagi-san in there any longer. We're going to get her today and that's final."

"I, uh…don't know what to say…" Yosuke had not expected Yu to say that. "You're good at this, you know…"

Yu arched her brow. "Good at what?"

Yosuke shook his head. "I'll tell you later…"

…

…

* * *

_Bam!_

Yu was growing tired of the fact that being piled under after going into the television was developing into a routine. "Seriously, we _have_ to work on our landing…"

"Satonaka, why couldn't you leave your chainmail in this world?" Yosuke groaned as Chie sat on his stomach. "How can you even wear something so heavy?"

Chie blinked and looked down at Yosuke. "It's not really that heavy…"

"No, but it made your landing even heavier…" Yosuke winced. "Agh, my stomach… Please get off…"

"Yes, please do…" Yu tapped her fingers on the floor as she waited somewhat impatiently for Yosuke and Chie to get off of her.

A few moments later, Yosuke helped Yu off the floor, apologizing once more for landing on her. Chie looked around and frowned as thick, yellow fog obscured her vision.

"How could you guys see anything?" Chie asked as she turned to Yu and Yosuke. "I can see you two, but barely…ugh, my head's hurting again—ah, it feels like it's gonna split open…"

"Never fear, Teddie's here!" a certain blue bear suddenly exclaimed as he popped up by Chie's side.

Chie jumped in response to Teddie's sudden appearance. "Don't do that!"

Teddie just smiled and held out a pair of yellow glasses to Chie. "Here you go, Chie-chan!"

Chie blinked and accepted the pair of glasses. "What're these for…?"

"Just put them on, Satonaka," Yosuke said as he put on his glasses. "They're about the only thing that Teddie is useful for."

Teddie scowled. "Hey!"

"And moral support," Yu added as she adjusted her glasses. "Can't forget that."

Yosuke looked skeptically at Yu. "Seriously?"

"It's about the only thing keeping me from breaking down…" Yu explained. "Because we can literally die at any given moment in this hellhole…keep that in mind."

Yosuke grimaced. "I see your point…"

"Hey, I can see!" Chie exclaimed moments after putting on her glasses. "This is awesome! It's like the fog doesn't exist! Is this why you two were wearing glasses the other day?"

Yu nodded. "Yeah…how's your head?"

Chie clutched her head. "This is amazing! The pain just went away…I almost forgot my head was hurting…"

"Hey, why didn't you whip those out the other day if you had them?" Yosuke looked suspiciously at Teddie.

Teddie growled. "I made them while you were away! You didn't tell me she was coming and too many things happened! It was all so sadden—I mean, sudden!"

Yosuke sighed. "Point made…"

"Hey, do you mind if I keep these?" Chie asked Teddie.

Teddie closed his eyes and smiled warmly at Chie. "Fo'sho!"

…

…

"Teddie, _never_ say that again…" Yu said with a stern expression on her face.

"Anything for you, Sensei!" Teddie said with a smile.

Chie mouthed a silent 'thank you' to Yu.

Yu sighed and shook her head. "Let's get this over with…"

"Hold on, Narukami!" Yosuke placed his hand on Yu's shoulder. "There's something I need to tell you…"

Yu crossed her arms. "What is it?"

"Well, it's more of a question…" Yosuke rubbed the back of his head. "Anyways, would you mind being our leader?"

Yu was taken aback with Yosuke's question. "What?"

"You were the first to get this power, and you're way better in a fight than either of us," Yosuke explained. "I think it's best for all of us if you set the pace of the investigation, and we follow your lead. I'm cool playing second banana."

Yu stared at Yosuke in disbelief. "I…why me?"

Yosuke smiled. "I'm more of the advisor type than anything—an ideas man, not an executive. You're good at making decisions, and to be fair, you're already doing a good job at being a leader. You did manage to take down a Shadow while you were drunk off your ass…so what do you say?"

Yu said nothing.

"Narukami…?" Yosuke frowned. "I didn't mean to put you on the spot…"

"Just leave it to me," Yu finally spoke. "Don't make me repeat myself…ever. I mean it in the sense that I want to avoid jeopardizing any of your lives, including mine. Got it?"

A small bead of sweat rolled down the side of Yosuke's face. "Uh…got it."

Chie just shrugged. "Better you than Hanamura."

"Hey!" Yosuke exclaimed.

"It's not that I don't trust you, Hanamura—actually, it is." Chie explained. "But that's not the point. It's just that I'd feel more comfortable about this if Yu was the one to call the shots."

Teddie nodded. "If Sensei's the one calling the shots, my pillow will be a lot more comfortable at night."

Chie groaned. "Teddie, would you please stop talking? You're giving me a headache…"

Small beads of sweat rolled down the sides of Teddie's face. "…"

Yu sighed and shook her head. She couldn't believe it…she had just been unanimously appointed as team leader. It wasn't exactly a position she felt comfortable with, but after seeing how much trust her friends had in her…she couldn't say no. It seemed as if her days of pursuing the case alongside her friends had officially begun.

Yu's eyes widened as she noticed the same stirring at the back of her mind coupled with the sudden resonating heartbeats that belonged to her friends. By now, Yu knew exactly what would come next.

_Smash!_

A blue card appeared before Yu's eyes. The card was an exact copy of the others from the back, differing only in the image it had on the other side. The image on the card was of a traveling jester who was oblivious to the cliff edge he was about to cross. The jester was accompanied with a small dog at his heels. Unlike the other cards, this particular card lacked a roman numeral, for there was no roman numeral for the number zero.

"**Thou art I…And I am thou…**

**Thou hast established a new bond…**

**It brings thee closer to the truth…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating**

**Personas of the Fool Arcana…"**

Yu was genuinely confused when Izanagi appeared before her. His golden eyes stared into her silver eyes. He said nothing, but Yu could tell from his gaze that he was expecting something from her. When Yu looked at the blue card again, it had suddenly occurred to her that she had her wild card ability was compared to the number zero. This card had the aforementioned number…

"The Fool…" Yu echoed. Almost immediately, the card disappeared into a blue light that entered her chest as Izanagi vanished. She felt the same warmth, and the same strength from the bond she had established with the group. Alongside that, she also felt a sense of identity that wasn't there before. She was the Fool.

"What does that mean?" Chie suddenly asked.

Yu blinked. "Wait, you saw that?"

Chie made a face. "Yeah…was I not supposed to?"

Yu shook her head. "No, it's just…"

"Narukami's special," Yosuke explained as he crossed his arms. "It probably has something to do with that. He can use more than one Persona, unlike us. He's a wild card…whatever that is."

Yu found Yosuke's tone rather amusing. "Jealous, Hanamura?"

Yosuke turned away from Yu. "Shut it."

Yu frowned. "Still mad about Pixie?"

Yosuke scowled. "Why wouldn't I?! She attacked me with lightning! Why do you even keep her?"

"Wind resistance, I thought we went over that." Yu also had Pixie as a backup healer in case Yosuke was incapable of using Dia.

"Why do you have to be weak against something as simple as wind?" Yosuke was still at a loss with that.

"What about you and lightning?" Yu asked. "Teddie shares your weakness."

Yosuke looked at Teddie and then back at Yu. "Did he know?"

Yu shook her head. "No. Now quit complaining about Pixie and get moving. We need to save Amagi-san."

"Shouldn't we focus on Satonaka as well?" Yosuke gestured at Chie.

"Guard her," Yu ordered. "She's weak to Garu skills and you're a good wind shield…now let's go."

…

…

* * *

A/N End of chapter. Well, that was a crappy way to end the chapter, but dear god, I couldn't find a decent way to end it! DX Anyways, this chapter's a little late and I was hoping to get it up while we were still in May, but I ran out of time and it's now June 1st.

And if you guys are disturbed by Nanako and Yu bathing together, don't be. They're just bathing together, nothing more. Remember this is Japan and they have different standards. This is more culture-related. The reason I had this put in was for some more bonding time with Yu and Nanako. FYI, Yu wore a towel and Nanako is six years old. Leave it at that.

As for the person who Yu refers to as Senpai…yeah, won't go further into that either since I rather avoid spoilers. Also, Yu force-feeding Yosuke…yeah, that moment was a little spontaneous when it came into existence, but I'm keeping it. As for Chie being weak to Garu…it's trial and error at the moment for the group. They don't know their own weaknesses until they experience it and as far as they know, Chie's Shadow was weak to Garu so it's a rather honest mistake.

You got some information on the incident and the effects they had on Chie and Yukiko. You'll get your Arcana update next chapter. Also, if you guys haven't noticed, chapter 8 was uploaded on the same date as it was in-game (excluding the year). That was rather unintentional. XD It just happened! Also, some stuff on Yu as well. She is the Fool and also, the Leader. To clear things up, Chie and Yosuke only saw the card Yu got, not the Social Link thing. It's like when Chie and Yosuke received their Personas...leave it at that. This was mostly to give Yu's main Arcana, the Fool, a bit of recognition to the others, as well as herself.

By the way, I GRADUATED! WOO! Out of high school! Yeah! Also, I'm eighteen! Double yeah! And to clear things up, I graduated on May 30th, but with Grad Nite and all, I went to an amusement park with my entire senior class (class of 2013, baby!) and came back at seven in the fucking morning the next day. I am beyond exhausted, but I had fun…

Anyways, another RANK-U-UP for **UnstableFable** and me! We're now on Rank 4! ^^ Oh, and for reviewer #70, **LemonySean**…you have no idea how much your review made my day! I am being quite sincere! Your review made my day…so thank you! ^^

So, guys, this story has over 72 reviews, 10,181 hits and counting, 69 favorites (make your jokes now before that changes like it did with the reviews), and 75 alerts. Seeing these numbers just makes me feel accomplished and remember, I graduated just two days ago and I'll be heading off to the university come fall, so appreciate the time I have now…because the easiest part of my life is over. And the funny thing is that I'm almost done with Golden…I am just about done with it. Meaning, soon, I can have access to New Game + and maybe this time around, I can actually max out ALL my social links. Ugh…wasn't able to on this run.

Well, that's it for this chapter! Review if you wish, but NO FLAMES! Constructive criticism is always welcomed! So until next time, guys, KD out! XD


	10. Everybody Hates Senri

Since reentering the castle, Yosuke and Yu spent the whole entirety of floor one teaching Chie the basics of using her Persona. It was from that point that Yu and Yosuke became aware of just _who_ Tomoe was. Tomoe was not like Jiraiya and Izanagi. She was prone to inserting ideas into Chie's head, much like what Pixie and Angel did with Yu. Except, more often than not, those ideas went against Yu's orders. And, the majority of the time this happened, Chie unintentionally acted upon it.

It was obvious that Chie had some difficulties with her Persona…as in they didn't get along. Tomoe liked being the one in charge and that got in the way of Chie trying to follow Yu's orders. At first, Chie was just annoyed, but after a few battles, annoyance was replaced with rage. What followed after that was an altercation between Chie and Tomoe.

Yu, Yosuke, Teddie, Izanagi, and Jiraiya just stood there and watched. It was both amusing and also, just shocking. The moment Chie and Tomoe were _extremely_ close to actually lashing out on each other was when Yu finally decided to intervene. Yu was almost struck by Tomoe in response. Almost, had it not been for Izanagi.

At that point, Izanagi took matters into his own hands and nearly zapped everyone with Zio. Electricity crackled from Izanagi's body as he looked down at Tomoe in a state of tranquil fury. Nobody moved or said anything. Nothing needed to be said in order to convince Tomoe to back down. Under the watchful eye of Izanagi's intimidating stare, Tomoe reluctantly returned to Chie's side.

"What is it now?" Chie looked sternly at Tomoe. "Are you done being annoying?"

Tomoe narrowed her eyes at Chie, but didn't let it get to her as she patted Chie on the head. Tomoe wanted to get this over quickly to get Izanagi off her back. She had learned the hard way that Izanagi could be very forceful without the need of words or actual physical force.

Chie was baffled, but slowly got the message once Tomoe pushed her towards Yu. "Fine, I'll come clean."

Izanagi relaxed and moved aside to allow Chie to talk with Yu. Electricity was no longer crackling from his body and Izanagi had reverted back to his previous calm and stoic demeanor. Despite this, Tomoe kept her distance from him…as did Teddie, Yosuke, and Jiraiya—_especially_ Jiraiya. Had Yosuke not been too intimidated by Izanagi to talk, he would have voiced his discomfort by now, because Jiraiya did not feel safe unless Yosuke was in his arms.

…

A small confession afterwards from Chie revealed that she was actually somewhat insecure about putting her complete trust in a person she only met a week ago, that person being Yu. Tomoe, being Chie's Persona and thus, a part of her as well, took note of Chie's insecurity and acted upon it. The results were basically the aforementioned insertion of ideas.

Upon learning this, Yu decided to have Chie and Tomoe act on their own free will. There wasn't really much Yu could do except work on the trust issues Chie had that Tomoe didn't want to let her ignore. Yu was perfectly fine with this, so long as it didn't end up jeopardizing anyone's lives.

About half an hour later after the incident, Chie was growing comfortable with using Tomoe or rather, working with her. In that same amount of time, Teddie had also revealed that certain physical attacks requiring one's Persona used up stamina. This was crucial information as Tomoe seemed to be only capable of physical attacks. Needless to say, Yosuke was finally getting decent practice with Dia.

All in all, progress was being made and experience was being gained from each battle. Unlike Yu and Yosuke, Chie didn't seem to feel the effects of the burst of energy that came with an experience gain every once in a while. Yu almost thought Chie was immune to the effects. That was to say until Chie used an ice attack to finish off a Lying Hablerie.

"Whoa…" Chie stared wide-eyed at the small ice-shards scattered on the floor where the Lying Hablerie was floating above previously.

"What was that?" Yosuke nearly dropped his wrenches in awe.

Yu turned to Teddie. "What have you got to say?"

"That was Bufu!" Teddie explained. "Lying Hableries are also weak to Bufu Skills."

Yu adjusted her glasses. "Okay, Chie…out of curiosity, when exactly did you learn that?"

"Just now, why—urk…" Chie covered her mouth. "Oh god…"

Within the next few moments, Chie found herself emptying whatever contents she had in her stomach.

Yosuke grimaced. "It'll be over soon, Satonaka…"

"I don't like this…" Chie was somewhat surprised to find Tomoe patting her gently on the back. It was a bit of an out of character moment for Tomoe, but Chie appreciated the gesture nonetheless.

Yu sighed. "If it makes you feel any better, this only happens once…hopefully."

"Narukami, I would rather not even have the idea that this could happen to us more than once." Once was enough for Yosuke. "I'm guessing now's a good time to move on, right?"

"Right," Yu replied and looked at Chie, who was now spitting on the floor. "You okay?"

"I feel horrible…" Chie murmured. "Uugh…"

"Do you wanna go back?" Yu suggested.

Chie wiped her mouth on her sleeve and looked at Yu. "Hell no!"

Yu smiled. "Okay, then let's go. Lead the way, Teddie."

"Aye aye, Sensei~!" Teddie chirped.

…

…

It turned out the group was standing nearby the door leading to the stairs. It was rather convenient and, up to this point, Chie had stayed close to the group. However, upon reaching the second floor and hearing Teddie's comment about sensing someone behind the door, Chie rushed ahead. Yu and Yosuke didn't bother trying to stop Chie at this point. Instead, they followed after her.

Immediately seconds after kicking open the door, Chie called out, "Yukiko!"

Standing still on the far side of the red carpet was the very person Chie, Yu, and Yosuke had seen on the Midnight Channel a few nights ago. It was Yukiko, still dressed up in a pink, flowing ball gown. She kept her back to the group as they walked up to her. Never once did she speak, even after Chie said her name again.

Yosuke was concerned at this point. Yukiko never ignored Chie. "Are you all right, Amagi-san?"

Silence…

"Yukiko…what's wrong?" Chie frowned.

Suddenly, the lights flickered and a spotlight shined over Yukiko. The spotlight highlighted the dark aura emanating from Yukiko's body. All attention was completely on her now as she began to laugh. Chie froze when she heard the telltale distortion in Yukiko's voice.

"No…you're not Yukiko…" Chie tightened her fists.

"Yukiko" turned around to face the group. Her solid yellow eyes looked over Yu, Yosuke, and Chie. Smiling, she brought the pink microphone she held in her hands close to her mouth.

"**Oh my! Special guests? I wonder how they'll play into all this!" **She chuckled. **"Things are really heating up!"**

Yu was growing increasingly uncomfortable with every look Shadow Yukiko gave her. It was almost as if Yu was being judged on her appearance and that seemed to be the case. She almost sighed in relief when Shadow Yukiko focused her attention on Chie, but not before winking at Yu. At this point, Yu felt bothered as certain memories involving "lacy unmentionables" popped up in mind.

"Dude, are you okay?" Yosuke noticed that Yu was looking a bit red in the face.

Yu shook her head. "Y-yeah, I'm fine…just…I don't want to talk about it."

"**Okie-dokie! I'm going back to hunt for my Prince Charming! Ohhh, where could he be…?" **Shadow Yukiko looked at her surroundings and pouted. **"This place is huge! It's sooo exciting, but it makes it so hard to find him! Ooh! Maybe he's playing hide-and-seek in the fog! Ready or not, here I come!"**

Yu was beginning to notice a peculiar habit with Shadow Yukiko. There was something strange about the look in Shadow Yukiko's eyes and the ambiguous implication in her tone. She only did it towards Chie…

"**Let's go further in then, shall we?!"** Shadow Yukiko batted her eyelashes as a colorful title card appeared over her.

_Princess Yukiko's Hunt For Her Prince Charming_

A round of applause and cheering followed after.

"Wh-What the hell is this?!" Yosuke exclaimed.

Chie scowled at Shadow Yukiko. "Who _are_ you?"

Shadow Yukiko giggled. **"What're you talking about? I'm Yukiko…and Yukiko is me."**

"Where's the real Yukiko?!" Chie demanded.

Disembodied voices suddenly started mumbling incoherently, almost sounding agitated.

"What's with these voices…?" Yosuke looked around for a source.

Teddie made a face. "The Shadows are getting agitated!"

"**Well, I'm off again!"** Shadow Yukiko exclaimed. **"Heehee! You'd better be waiting with bells on, my dear Prince!"**

Without even a simple goodbye, Shadow Yukiko turned and hurried off to the next floor.

"Hey, wait!" Chie almost went after her, but Tomoe stopped her. "But…Yukiko…"

"We'll find her, Chie," Yu said reassuringly. "Just don't wander off on your own. We have no idea just what is up ahead."

"Yeah, especially with Amagi-san's Shadow on the loose," Yosuke added.

Chie looked down. "I can't believe that's the other part of Yukiko…"

"I don't think she was excited for nothing," Teddie finally spoke. Yu, Chie, and Yosuke looked questioningly at Teddie as he continued. "The real Yukiko wants to show us something. I can feel it. It's hard to explain… It seems like she has a strong connection to this castle. This is a lot more dangerous than I thought!"

After somehow managing to get by Tomoe, Chie ran towards the stairs. "I'm coming for you, Yukiko!"

Yosuke scowled. "God dammit, Satonaka, not again… We told her not to run off on her own…"

Yu sighed and shook her head. "It can't be helped. C'mon, let's go."

Fortunately, for them, unlike last time, they were able to catch up to Chie. She was waiting for them at the top of the stairs. Before Yosuke could even scold Chie for potentially endangering her life, she stopped him.

"Shh…listen…" Chie whispered.

"**Teeheehee… My Prince will soon come for me. I'll always be waiting… Forever and ever…"**

It was Yukiko, or rather, her Shadow. Though, what was strange was that she was nowhere to be seen. It was just her voice.

"Teddie, can you sense anything?" Yu asked Teddie.

Teddie furrowed his brow. "All I can sense are Shadows…we should keep going! Just be careful!"

"Anything else you'd like to add?" Yu didn't want another surprise like last time in which he left out crucial information that could have gotten Chie killed.

"There are more Shadows on this floor…" Teddie replied. "New ones with different weaknesses and attacks…"

And Yu found what she was looking for. "Okay, you heard the bear… Watch out for each other's backs and feel free to experiment on new Shadows. We need to figure out new weaknesses to exploit."

"Narukami, that Shadow is red…" Yosuke pointed at a blob of red slime crawling on the floor. "Should we be concerned?"

Yu stared at the red Shadow. "Uh…Teddie, why is that Shadow red?"

"Red Shadows are stronger than regular Shadows…" Teddie explained. "I think you should avoid them for now."

"Guys, I think it spotted us!" Chie exclaimed.

_Gurgle._

"Shit," Yu swore.

…

…

* * *

Elsewhere inside the castle, Yukiko was sprawled onto the floor. She was asleep, dreaming peacefully as she was blissfully unaware of the events occurring outside this room. She would have remained asleep, but a voice woke her up.

"**Chie is nice…Chie can do anything."**

Slowly, Yukiko began to open her eyes. Everything was hazy to her, but she could hear just fine.

"**Chie is always by my side. Chie will always be there to protect me."**

At this point, Yukiko was fully conscious. She tried to look at her surroundings to figure out her location, but thick, red fog obscured her vision. She could only make out the red carpet she sat on and the flight of stairs behind her.

"**Chie will always save me."**

"Who's there?" Yukiko finally spoke.

A loud noise from behind made Yukiko turn her head. A birdcage was rolling down the flight of stairs. It was moving towards her direction and stopped rolling once it reached her side. It was empty and didn't seem important, but to Yukiko, it held memories…fond memories.

"This was my bird's cage…"

It had only been a couple of months after entering her first year in high school. On one particular day after school, Yukiko had walked home alone. Along the way, she had come across an abandoned baby bird. It had looked so pitiful, being too young to do anything but cry.

Yukiko became the owner of a baby bird that day. It was a decision that made the following days after much more difficult for her, but Yukiko didn't mind. For all it was worth, she finally had someone she could relate to, even if it was just a bird.

…

…

* * *

"Did we lose it?" Yosuke asked between pants.

Yu huffed and carefully peered out from behind a corner. "I think we…crap, it's still there."

"It's so persistent…" Chie was struggling to catch her breath. "Teddie, are we anywhere near the stairs?"

Teddie frowned as he shook his head. "No…"

For the past twenty minutes, the group had been running away from a red Shadow. It just kept following them, never once losing interest in them. They lost it a few times, but it always managed to find them again.

"This is ridiculous…" Yosuke sighed.

"It could be worse…" Yu remarked.

Yosuke was perplexed. "How?"

"Chie could have opened another chest with a Positive King inside," Yu replied.

"Don't remind me…" Chie frowned.

It was a fight that lasted ten minutes against _one_ Shadow that _loved_ to summon to summon help. Needless to say, Chie was no longer opening any treasure chests on her own again.

"At least I got another Persona out of that." Yu looked over the new card she had obtained from that battle. "Say, are you guys willing to take your chances against that Shadow now that I have a new Persona in my possession?"

"If it means getting rid of it, I'm in…" Yosuke was tired of running…literally. He was also quite annoyed with the red Shadow.

Chie nodded. "It's better than getting cornered by it—Tomoe, what are you doing?! STOP!"

Tomoe ignored Chie as she moved in to attack the red Shadow. Much to everyone's surprise, it was a successful preemptive attack. Preemptive attacks actually stunned the Shadow as it split and transmogrified into its true form. This allowed Yu, Yosuke, and Chie to get the first attack, which helped out a lot.

In this case, the red Shadow took on the form of two pairs of what seemed to be humanoid twins. They were joined together by three poles, one by their necks, and another by their wrists, and the last by their ankles. They just wobbled in place, almost like mindless zombies.

"Trance Twins!" Teddie suddenly exclaimed. "Be careful, Sensei!"

Yu just nodded her head as she crushed a card in her hand. Izanagi disappeared and, in his place, was a beautiful woman with feline characteristics. She had white skin and a long tail. She was clad in spotted white fur and wore a conical hat. Her yellow eyes were focused on Yu.

"**I am thou and thou art I,"** she remarked, sounding rather amused. **"I am Senri. What is it that you need?"**

Yu turned to face the Trance Twins. Senri took one look at the Shadows and smiled. At that moment, a name popped up in mind.

"Agi?" Yu made a face.

Senri grinned and tipped her hat in the direction of one of the Shadows. Almost instantly, a small ball of fire set the Shadow ablaze. It wasn't that big of a fire, but it did stun the Shadows. At that moment, Teddie spoke.

"Trance Twins are weak to Agi Skills!" he exclaimed.

Yu blinked as she heard a pleased purr from Senri.

"**Ready when you are,"** Senri said with a toothy grin.

…

…

Sometime later, after the Trance Twins were reduced to a puddle of red slime, the group was making their way towards the fourth floor. There wasn't really much to talk about, since everyone was still recovering from the battle. They were still exhausted from all that running involved prior to offing the red Shadow. Though, as they neared the fourth floor, Yosuke noticed something rather peculiar.

"Narukami…why is your Persona looking at me like that?" Yosuke looked nervously at Senri. He had been rather wary of Yu's Personas ever since Pixie attacked him. Angel never paid much attention to him, and he was still on bad terms with Pixie. Senri, on the other hand, just kept staring at him with those eyes of hers. It was rather unnerving.

"Senri, what are you doing?" Yu looked questioningly at her Persona.

Senri smiled playfully. **"I'm just enjoying the view."**

It took Yu a few seconds to put two and two together, which, by then, Yosuke figured it out. Almost immediately, his face turned red as he covered his backside.

"H-Hey!" Yosuke exclaimed. "Switch her out, now! I don't feel comfortable with this!"

Chie was amused. "Wow, Hanamura. How the tables have turned…"

"S-Shut up, stupid!" Yosuke snapped. "This isn't funny!"

Teddie was confused. "Just what did she mean by 'enjoying the view'?"

"T-That's enough!" Yu sputtered. She couldn't believe the behavior of her current Persona. Angel was always polite and quite motherly at times. Pixie was just energetic, but Senri…

"**You shouldn't let this one get away,"** Senri's voice practically purred within Yu's mind. **"Such vitality…and he's quite easy on the eyes."**

Yu's face burned red. "Okay, that's enough! I'm switching you out, Senri!"

Senri frowned. **"Killjoy…"**

_Smash!_

Yu didn't bother checking whose card she crushed. All she really cared was that Senri wasn't her current Persona. It was Angel who took Senri's place.

Angel sighed and shook her head. **"I apologize for Senri's lewd behavior. Don't hold it against her…she's a being who sustains herself on the vitality of men."**

"Great, another Persona who has it out for me!" Yosuke couldn't believe it.

Yu looked blankly at Yosuke. "Pixie doesn't hate you."

"She struck me with Zio!" Yosuke exclaimed.

…

…

"Narukami, what are you doing?" Yosuke's eyes widened as he noticed a blue card in Yu's hand. "No, don't—Narukami, stop!"

"Too late." Yu crushed the card in her hand.

"**Hello~!"** a very familiar, bubbly high-pitched voice chirped.

"Oh good, she's here…" Yosuke deadpanned.

Yu said nothing as she forcefully grabbed Yosuke by the collar of his shirt and pulled him closer to Pixie. "You two are going to make up and get along. I won't rush you two, but I better see you two at least _trying_…got it?!"

Pixie and Yosuke looked at each other and just nodded, albeit reluctantly. Yu released Yosuke and walked past him and Pixie. Now that she had that out of the way, they could get back to looking for Yukiko. Yu was aware how sidetracked they had gotten since Senri was switched out for Angel.

…

…

* * *

Yukiko recalled her first-year memories of high school. Her family's inn had become an even bigger part of her life and it showed. It had been the cause for every reason Yukiko gave to Chie when she turned down Chie's offers to do something after school. The baby bird had given Yukiko a reason to bear with everything that came with helping out at the inn. Never before had she found smiling to be something so simple and easy. It was almost as if all her problems had vanished.

"_**You're just like me, aren't you? You can only live in your cage…"**_ It was a sad thing to say, but it made Yukiko smile each time she thought that as she cared for her bird. She had raised it from a baby and seen it grow into a beautiful adult with a plumage that reminded her of fire. It was almost as if she was looking into a mirror every time she watched that bird sing within its cage.

She could easily replace the bird with herself and the cage with her family inn. She could see her family caring for her, just as she did with the bird. It was a depressing thought, but it only made Yukiko sympathize with her caged friend even more. They were both afraid of going out of their cages alone.

"_Or so I thought…"_ Yukiko frowned as she opened the cage. There were a few times she had accidentally forgotten to lock the cage's door. She was always relieved to see that her bird was still inside, despite the opened door and the opened window. It had every opportunity to spread its wings and take off, but it never did. It was probably because it had never learned to fly. Maybe that's why she had grown too comfortable with the thought that it would never leave its cage. In the end, she had underestimated her caged friend.

The empty cage was all that Yukiko had in her head during the last remaining weeks of her first year of high school. She had cared for that bird so painstakingly. There were times she had wanted to cry because of the difficulties that came with caring for such a young bird. Kasai had been there for her when she needed the help. Kasai was also there when Yukiko discovered the empty cage.

Chie had noticed the sudden change in Yukiko's expression. When asked about it, Yukiko lied. Chie didn't need to know about something so petty. The last thing Yukiko wanted was sympathy, because all she had ever done in raising that bird was sympathize.

* * *

…

…

Going through the fourth floor was a surprisingly easy feat, ignoring the fact that Yu had to keep Pixie and Yosuke in line every few minutes or so and a few encounters with Shadows. In some way, Yu considered it progress since Pixie refrained from using Zio (at least, on Yosuke). Chie and Tomoe were also working together much better than before. There were still some difficulties, but Yu was just glad for some progress.

Though, there was one thing everyone could agree on and that was that Last Resort sucked. Several times, some of the Shadows turned into Dice-like enemies called Bronze Dice. After whittling down their stamina or whatever it was that kept them alive, one of the Bronze Dice Shadows pulled a kamikaze attack, appropriately named Last Resort, and exploded. Had Yu not defended herself, she would have been unconscious and unable to use the Revival Beads Teddie had given her to wake up Chie and Yosuke.

Pixie was extremely quick to heal Yu before she could even give the command to do so. Yu didn't really mind since she was going to heal herself, Pixie just sped up the process. Now the way Revival Beads worked…they had to be eaten by a Persona. How this worked, Yu had no actual clue, but guessed the whole "Thou art I and I art Thou" motif probably had something to do with it.

"Just so we're clear…we run like hell if we come across Bronze Dice," Yu said as she and the group stood in front of a door leading into the fifth floor. "Right?"

"Right," Yosuke and Chie said.

Pixie fluttered about, looking over Yosuke. Yosuke made a face and resisted the urge to swat Pixie away.

"The hell do you want?" Yosuke was not in the mood.

Pixie looked thoughtfully at Yosuke. **"Can you use Trafuri?"**

"What the hell is Trafuri?" Yosuke was perplexed.

"**It's a move that helps anyone escape from the Shadows,"** Pixie explained. **"I'm not experienced enough to learn it yet, but something tells me you might know it…"**

Yosuke blinked and turned to his Persona. "Hold on…are you telling me we know that move? If so, why didn't you tell me?"

Jiraiya just shrugged in a manner that almost resembled a, "You never asked."

Tomoe was quick to bash Jiraiya over the head with the blunt area of her staff. Both Yosuke and Jiraiya yelped and clutched their heads.

"Dammit, Satonaka!" Yosuke exclaimed.

Chie scowled. "That wasn't me!"

Yu could already tell that Yosuke and Chie were about ready to start a heated argument. She was not amused and she was about to yell at them to stop, but something else came out of her mouth that sounded much deeper than her usual voice. **"BEHAVE CHILDREN."**

Yosuke, Chie, Jiraiya, and Tomoe looked wide-eyed at Yu. "…"

Teddie was shocked. "Wow, Sensei…"

Yu was quite shocked, herself. She had no idea what had just happened. She looked questioningly at Pixie. "Did you…or was that…"

Pixie laughed awkwardly. **"Izanagi wanted me to send a message. Didn't mean to make you say it…"**

Yu blinked. "Wait, you can do that?"

Pixie nodded. **"How else did you think Tomoe would get Chie to do all that?"**

Yu was learning more and more with each floor. "Ahem, back to what Pixie was saying…Hanamura can use Trafuri, right?"

"Y-Yeah…" Yosuke stuttered a bit.

"Okay, if we come across Bronze Dice, feel free to use it…" Yu wasn't taking any chances with Last Resort.

Yosuke nodded his head. "Got it…"

"Okay, let's get moving." Yu kicked open the door and quickly readied her katana in case there were any nearby Shadows. There were none and the hallway was quite empty. Red mist began to tinge the air as haughty laughter echoed throughout the empty hallway.

"**Ohohoho~! By any chance, are you… My Princes? I'm locked up here… Please save me! Hmhmhm… I'm sure my Princes can do it… I'm sure they'll brave any danger to release me from this place… I'll be waiting for you… Ohoho…"**

There was a moment of silence within the group after that. No one wanted to talk or rather, no one knew what to say. For once, Chie was quite glad that Teddie started talking.

"That was strange," Teddie remarked. "Speaking of which…something's off about this floor."

"Is it the red mist in the air or is that just me?" Yosuke was tempted to take off his glasses to clean the lenses.

"No, that's not it…" Teddie furrowed his brow. "Don't take off your glasses…We might want to be extra careful now…"

"Is she on this floor?" Chie asked.

Teddie nodded. "Yeah, but she's not alone…"

"Okay, remember the plan, Hanamura." Yu looked around. "If we get caught in an unwanted battle…"

"I'll get Jiraiya to bail us out with Trafuri," Yosuke continued for Yu. "I'm still not sure how it works."

"We'll get into that later!" Chie interjected. "Let's just keep moving!"

Moments later after walking a good distance, Teddie's comment about the floor came into play when the group suddenly found themselves teleported to a random location. At first, it was just strange, but after the third time it happened, it was becoming an annoyance. Yu literally couldn't take a step closer to a door without activating whatever it was that was teleporting them. It didn't help that laughter echoed throughout the halls each time it happened.

After the sixth time, Yu was extremely close to yelling out in anger. She managed to restrain herself and instead, decided to take a different approach. Her current one wasn't getting anyone anywhere, just into an endless loop of teleportation.

"Anything yet, Teddie?" Yu asked as she watched Teddie sniff the air.

Teddie paused for a moment. "Hmm…that girl's scent is getting stronger, but what are the chances we'll get moved again?"

Yu adjusted her glasses. "We'll take those chances. We haven't run into any Shadows yet, so I'd say we're doing pretty well."

Pixie's expression said otherwise. **"The teleportation is making me dizzy, euugh… If this is what I have to do with Trafuri, I don't think I want to learn it…Why isn't Patra working on me, but working on you?"**

Yosuke snickered and quickly earned a death glare from Pixie. Her body started crackling with electricity, but Yu quickly intervened.

"Pixie…" Yu said sternly. "Behave…"

Pixie pouted. **"Fine…"**

…

"You too, Hanamura," Yu added a second later.

"What?!" This time, it was Pixie's turn to snicker as Yosuke looked wide-eyed at Yu.

Chie looked blankly at her teammates and turned to Tomoe. "You want to just go ahead and check if we activate whatever it is that's teleporting us?"

Tomoe nodded her head and followed after Chie as she walked forward. Within a few steps, the group found themselves teleported to another random location on the fifth floor. Yu had lost count by now as to how many times it had happened. Chie just looked irritated and Pixie was having trouble staying in the air.

Yosuke decided to stop screwing around and actually caught Pixie when she couldn't stay in the air. Pixie didn't really care that Yosuke caught her. She was too busy clutching her head as she sat in the palm of Yosuke's hand.

"Wow, you're really small," Yosuke remarked.

"**No…sh…I'm not gonna bother…"** Pixie wasn't going to bother. **"Why do I sense satisfaction?"**

That would be Yu finding something worth smiling for as she saw Yosuke and Pixie not arguing for once. Though, something did feel off and it took Yu a few seconds to realize what it was. Since Pixie was sitting in the palm of Yosuke's hand, Yu could feel something on her…

"Hanamura, give me Pixie…now…" Yu managed not to blush as she held out her hand to Yosuke.

Yosuke blinked and carefully handed the dazed Pixie to Yu. He was unaware of what he unintentionally did and Yu would like to keep it that way.

"_I'm starting to hate this 'thou art I' crap…"_ Yu thought to herself as she helped Pixie get a hold of herself. "Wow, you are really small."

"**The same could go for you and I don't mean height…"** Pixie snapped back.

Yu stared wide-eyed at Pixie. Pixie rubbed her eyes, unaware of the attention she had just drawn towards Yu. It took the tiny Persona a minute to realize what she had done. By then, Chie asked about it.

"What did she mean?" Chie was confused.

Yu narrowed her eyes. "Way to go, Pixie…"

"**Oops…"** Pixie looked nervously at Yu.

Yosuke looked over Yu. "Well, if there's one thing I know about Narukami, it's that he is small. I mean, look at him. He's barely taller than you, Satonaka."

Yu stared blankly at Yosuke. "What."

Chie crossed her arms. "Pixie wasn't talking about height, stupid!"

Teddie blinked. "So then what _did_ she mean?"

"I wasn't finished…just watch." Yosuke sighed and dropped his wrenches on the floor. He then made his way over to Yu and stood right in front of her. Yu looked questioningly at Yosuke as he looked down at her.

"What the hell are you doing?" Yu made a face as Yosuke got closer to her. "Hanamura, you are invading my personal—Hanamura, what are you doing? Hanamura—Hanamura, don't you even dare—"

"_Payback time for Pixie…"_ Yosuke smirked as he lifted Yu off the floor. He had caught her off guard. She was not expecting this and dropped both Pixie and her katana in order to grab onto Yosuke's arms. Pixie barely managed to avoid the floor by flapping her wings at the last second. She hovered over the floor for a few moments before moving upwards.

The thing about Pixie when she was falling towards the floor, Yu actually experienced the sensation of falling. At the moment, her feet were unable to touch the floor thanks to Yosuke. Yu was completely terrified.

"Don't drop me…" Yu was tense and Yosuke noticed. He was also aware of how light she was, but he already took note of that when he had to carry her all the way home after the sake incident.

"Are you watching, guys?" Yosuke turned to Chie and Teddie. Both were wide-eyed in shock.

"Wow, Yosuke is strong…" Teddie was surprised.

"Ah, y-yes…" Chie was almost speechless. "Holy crap…how can you…isn't he heavy?"

Chie had a hard time carrying Yu on her back when she and Yosuke were sneaking the silver-haired teen into the liquor aisle of Junes. How Yosuke managed to carrying Yu on his back without any problems, Chie would never know.

"Nope…" Yosuke replied. "What are you, like 101 lbs?"

"105, actually—put me down!" Yu tightened her grip on Yosuke's arms. "Why are you even doing this?!"

Yosuke smiled. "I'm just showing Satonaka and Teddie what Pixie meant…and getting some payback for Pixie."

"Are you aware how close my legs are to your crotch, Hanamura?" Yu stared blankly at Yosuke.

And with that, Yosuke put Yu down and avoided a critical hit to the nads. Once in a week was enough for Yosuke, especially since it was from a dominatrix. He was still recovering from yesterday.

Yu nodded her head and, after adjusting her shirt, knelt down to pick up her katana. She looked at Pixie, who seemed okay, though if somewhat disheveled.

"**Sorry about that…"** Pixie looked sheepishly at Yu. **"I slipped up…"**

"_Don't worry about it…"_ Yu sighed. _"Just…lay off the comments about my body. I've had enough of those and I just realized how much more awkward this could have been…"_

"**What are you—oh…oh my…"** Pixie's face reddened. **"I didn't need that mental image, Senri."**

Yu face palmed. _"God dammit, Senri…"_

Meanwhile within the realms of Yu's subconscious or wherever her Personas took residence, Senri was laughing to herself. Angel and Izanagi just looked at Senri almost as if in disappointment.

…

…

A few minutes later, Teddie managed to successfully lead the group to a door that didn't teleport them to a random location…that also wasn't locked.

"I sense someone beyond this door…" Teddie said after sniffing the air a few times. "It's that girl's scent!"

Yu tightened her grip on her katana and looked back at Yosuke and Chie. "Are you guys ready?"

Before Yosuke could say anything, Chie went ahead and kicked open the door, exclaiming, "READY!"

Yosuke scowled. "Dammit, Satonaka, stop doing that!"

An amused chuckle caught everyone's attention. Shadow Yukiko stood in the center of the room, accompanied by a gigantic Shadow. The Shadow was enormous in both size and height and resembled an armored knight riding a horse. It was armed with a lance and wore a purple mask over its face.

"**My Prince wouldn't lose to guards such as this, correct?"** Shadow Yukiko laughed.

Pixie was horrified. **"That's…big."**

"Gyaaaaaah!" Teddie shrieked. "I've never seen such a strong one before! I-It's attacking us!"

Almost immediately, Yu shoved Teddie to the side and jumped out of the way from the Shadow's incoming lance.

"**Princes are considerate. Princes are strong… The Avenger Knight shouldn't prove to be a problem if this is true. I shall be watching from afar and just so nobody gets any ideas…"**

The doors suddenly closed shut, trapping the group with the Shadow, referred to as the Avenger Knight. Shadow Yukiko was nowhere in sight, but her voice still lingered.

"**Good luck my Princes-in-training!"**

"Everyone, scatter!" Yu shouted as she avoided yet another attack from the Avenger Knight. It just kept targeting her. "Pixie!"

**"Taste my lightning, jerk!"** Pixie struck the Avenger Knight with a bolt of lightning. It didn't seem to do much.

"It's not weak to Zio skills!" Teddie remarked.

"What about Garu?!" Yosuke directed Jiraiya towards the Shadow. Jiraiya attacked the Shadow with a gust of green wind, but it did the same amount of damage as Zio.

Teddie confirmed this. "Nothing!"

"All right, Tomoe, we're up!" Chie dashed towards the Avenger Knight and managed to land a solid kick on the Shadow before having Tomoe use Bufu on it. "Anything yet, Teddie?"

Teddie shook his head. "No, Bufu Skills and physical attacks aren't doing much damage—watch out! You've made it angry!"

The Avenger Knight made an inhuman noise and held up its lance in the air. The Shadow's body began to glow.

"Uh-oh!" Teddie was beginning to panic as he hid behind a pillar. "Tarukaja raises strength! Get out of there, Chie!"

Tomoe was quick to respond to Teddie's outburst and pulled Chie away from the Avenger Knight, managing to barely avoid its lance. Chie had never known her heart could beat so fast and so hard…now she did.

...

Pixie flitted about over Yu's head. **"What are you going to?"**

Yu was trying to think of a plan. "We need to slow it down…"

"**I don't think anyone knows Sukunda."** Pixie looked thoughtfully at Yosuke and Chie. **"The girl does know Tarukaja, but I think you should focus on agility before anything."**

"Right, so what can we do about it?" Yu needed to know fast before the Avenger Knight decided to make her its target again.

"**We need Sukukaja and…"** Pixie suddenly gasped. **"Angel knows it and so does that touchy-feely guy over there! Quick, get him to use it on you so you can change to Angel and do the same—never mind, I'll do it for you! I can get the message to him faster!"**

Yu didn't really say much, but just nodded and watched Pixie as she swiftly made her way across the room to Yosuke. Yosuke was currently the Avenger Knight's target. Jiraiya was having a difficult time blocking the Shadow's attack. He was trying to buy Yosuke some time to get away, but the Avenger Knight was too fast for Yosuke to get anywhere without it attacking him. Something needed to be done, fast.

Luckily, Pixie was there to help for once, even though she still disliked Yosuke. Truth be told, she just liked messing around with Yosuke. It was in her nature to be mischievous and also reward consideration and punish neglect. So far, she was doing her job.

Now Pixie just hoped that Yosuke would listen to her. **"Hey, you—the boy with the weird orange things on his head!"**

"I have a name!" Yosuke snapped as he resisted the urge to swat Pixie away.

Pixie made a face. **"If I called you by your name, I might put you in a trance or something, I dunno, it's supposed to lead anyone astray—Oh heads up, if that somehow manages to happen, turn your coat inside out…"**

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Yosuke was lost.

Pixie shook her head. **"Anyways, you know Sukukaja…use it on your Leader."**

"What's Sukukaja—what's going on?" Yosuke stared at himself as his body began to glow. He quickly glanced at Jiraiya, whose body was also glowing.

"**Okay, using it on yourself is okay—you might want to run, now."** Pixie was realizing the problem Yosuke had beforehand involving distancing himself from the Avenger Knight. **"Go to your Leader!"**

Yosuke huffed and decided to listen to Pixie. He still didn't know what had happened, but Pixie seemed to be onto something. If anything, Yu probably sent Pixie to his aid. With that in mind, Yosuke started running and was quickly surprised by how fast he was moving. Within a few seconds, Yosuke was now at Yu's side.

"Whoa, how did you—?" Yu was baffled.

"**That was Sukukaja!"** Pixie piped in. **"It raises your agility and makes it easier for you to land and avoid hits! It's only for a bit, though, so be careful."**

Yosuke stared at Pixie for a second before turning to Teddie, who was still hiding behind a pillar. "She's more useful than you!"

"Hey!" Teddie couldn't help but resent that.

Yu crossed her arms and sighed. "Behave…we need him to still scope out for any weaknesses…also, you mind using Sukukaja on me?"

Yosuke didn't answer and let the glowing light emanating from Yu and Pixie's bodies speak for himself. Pixie was now flitting about at a much faster speed.

"**Thank you!"** she chirped. **"And you're not so bad yourself, boy! Now what about her?"**

Yu and Yosuke turned to look at Chie and Tomoe. The two were currently helping out Jiraiya with the Avenger Knight. Chie and Tomoe had some difficulty considering they weren't as fast as Jiraiya to keep up with the Avenger Knight.

"**Just so you know,"** Pixie began, **"Sukukaja does pass itself on when you switch Personas. So I think you should go with Angel…"**

Yu couldn't help but agree. "You and Hanamura have made some good progress…but I'll still bring you out, just later."

"**Well, see you around!"** Pixie said with a smile.

_Smash!_

Pixie disappeared almost immediately after Yu crushed a blue card. Angel appeared behind Yu, as usual. She never appeared in front of Yu, always in back of her. Something about Angel saying it was her job to protect Yu.

"**I deeply apologize for what Senri did to you and Pixie…"** Angel said apologetically.

Yosuke arched his brow. "What did she do?"

"Nothing!" Yu was quick to reply. "Just don't ask…remember, this is Senri…"

"Riiight…" Yosuke never wanted to see Senri…ever. Pixie was tolerable and he was slowly growing to accept her since she didn't act like Senri.

"**I suppose you want me to use Sukukaja."** Angel placed her hands on Yu's shoulders. **"Am I correct?"**

Yu blinked. "Yeah…"

"What's going on?!" Chie exclaimed.

That was all that Yu needed to hear to know that Angel used Sukukaja on Chie. With everyone now up to speed with the Avenger Knight, Yu thought it would be a good idea to start attacking. Sukukaja was eventually going to wear off and it was best to take advantage of it now while it was still in effect.

"Hope you like Skull Cracker!" Chie exclaimed. "Take this!"

Tomoe slammed her double-bladed staff onto the Avenger Knight's head. There was a loud, sickening crack resulting from the impact. The Avenger Knight's mask had cracked and its body was now a shade of purple for some odd reason. It was also throwing money onto the floor, which Yosuke quickly pocketed.

"I thought that only happened when we kill them…" Chie was confused.

The thing about killing Shadows is that they drop money. Nobody knew about that fact until Teddie made a comment about the "paper and coins" he had been picking up after every battle. It was because of Teddie that Yu became the owner of ten thousand yen. That discovery happened sometime during the teleportation shenanigans that had occurred on this floor. Since then, Yu had made it a rule that the person who landed the last hit on a Shadow earned the money dropped from its demise. As for the current moment, it was most definitely first-come, first-served.

"Just what did you do to it?" Yu was taking note of the Shadow's current state. It was definitely out of it.

"It's confused!" Teddie shouted. "Chie-chan confused it!"

Chie blinked. "I did? Holy crap, Tomoe, you hit hard…"

Tomoe looked pleased with the outcome of her attack.

"All right, everyone!" Yu had an idea in mind now that the Avenger Knight was incapacitated in some way. "Take advantage of the current situation! Alternate between spells and physical attacks—Chie, you continue doing what you're currently doing! Just keep an eye out for yourself and make sure to tell us if you need any healing. Are we clear?"

"Tomoe's already attacking for me," Chie remarked. "But I heard you clearly."

"Same!" Yosuke said before rushing towards the Shadow with Jiraiya by his side.

Yu sighed and looked over her shoulder at Teddie, who was still in the same place behind the pillar. "Have you got anything about this Shadow's weakness yet?!"

"Try Agi!" Teddie yelled back.

Yu blinked a few times and made a face when she realized the only Persona she had on hand that was capable of using Agi was Senri. Angel sensed Yu's discomfort and squeezed her shoulders reassuringly.

"**I'll try to have Izanagi keep her from controlling you…"** That was all Angel could really promise. **"Good luck…"**

Yu hesitantly took out Senri's card. She really didn't want to summon Senri… "Okay, take a deep breath…it's only for one move…"

_Smash!_

"**Hello…"** Yu stiffened as Senri whispered into her ear. **"You're in need of my assistance, huh?"**

Yu swallowed hard. "Uh…can you use Agi?"

Senri chuckled. **"As you wish…"**

…

…

Yu sighed in relief when Senri left her side. She was really growing uncomfortable with using the Persona. Senri was just so…touchy-feely.

"**Hey, do me a favor…say my name…"** Senri's voice echoed within Yu's mind.

A small bead of sweat rolled down the side of Yu's face. "S-Senri."

"**Louder."**

"Senri!" Yu exclaimed.

Senri laughed and threw a ball of fire at the Avenger Knight. Her sudden appearance near the Shadow had caught Yosuke off guard.

"Oh god, not you again!" Yosuke backed away from Senri. Jiraiya sensed Yosuke's distress and was quick to pull Yosuke away from Senri.

Senri found this amusing and almost followed after Yosuke, but a voice inside her head told her otherwise. **"Hmph, killjoy…"**

Yu was not going to let Senri harass her friend. She was quite glad to see that Senri was at least being obedient. Sighing, Yu focused her attention on the Avenger Knight and was surprised to see it crumpled onto the floor into a pile.

"It's down!" Teddie exclaimed. "It's weak to Agi skills!"

As relieving as it would have been to know this Shadow's weakness, it wasn't because only Senri knew Agi and that meant she would have to be kept out longer in order to exploit the Shadow's weakness. Three words could be used to appropriately describe Yu's current thoughts.

"Fuck my life." Yu sighed as Senri started to laugh.

Chie, being the only one unaffected by Senri's unwanted attention, decided to bring attention to the current advantage they had. "Alright guys, pile on! Ready?"

Yu and Yosuke looked at Chie, who was currently waiting for them by the Shadow's side. She wanted everyone to attack at the same time. It seemed like a reasonable idea and it guaranteed that everyone's attack would hit. Chie grinned widely as she watched Yu and Yosuke run towards her.

"Let's do it!" she exclaimed.

Many blows were dealt as a result of the group attack. Teddie had watched from his spot in deep amusement when a white cloud obscured the Shadow as Chie, Yu, and Yosuke attacked it. After a minute or so, the group had stopped attacking to check the damage they had done. The white cloud quickly disappeared and revealed that the Shadow had gotten off the floor. However, within the minute, it just suddenly collapsed into a puddle of black slime.

Yu stared at the puddle of slime for a few seconds before quickly crushing a blue card in her hand. Senri was then quickly replaced with Pixie, much to everyone's relief (especially Yosuke's).

"**Are you alright?" **Pixie looked concerned.

Yu nodded her head. "Yeah…please tell me that Senri didn't try to control me…"

Pixie laughed awkwardly. **"Ah, about that…"**

"Angel kept her promise, then…" Yu sighed. She really didn't know what to do with Senri.

Pixie rubbed the back of her head. **"Say, what's that there?"**

Yu blinked and looked at the floor as the slime evaporated into nothingness. There was a key that was left behind. It looked simple enough, but it was made out of glass.

"Why glass?" Yu asked herself as she picked up the key.

Chie overheard Yu and noticed the key. "I think that's supposed to be from a fairytale, except…it's a key, not a slipper or whatever the heck it was."

"And the fairytale motif continues," Yosuke remarked as he picked up the money off the floor. He had gotten the last hit in the group attack. "I guess it's time to find the right door and hope our Princess isn't on another floor."

Yu blinked and smiled. "Your attempt at quoting a video game amuses me."

"Thanks, I'll be here all day." Yosuke grinned.

Chie made a face. "Oh god, you two…"

"Hey, guys!" Teddie called out to them. "The door's opening!"

The once closed door that trapped the group with a Shadow was opening. As this happened, Shadow Yukiko's voice started speaking.

"**If you really are my Prince, then we will surely meet again. I am but a trapped soul… I cannot leave this place even if I wished…"** There was a melancholic tone in Shadow Yukiko's voice that was only made more obvious when she chuckled.

Silence…

"I don't sense her anymore…" Teddie frowned before turning to Yu and the others. He noticed how tired they seemed, especially Yu. "Oh! Are you okay, Sensei?! I'm sure we've got a long ways to go. Don't push yourself too hard! If you're tired, you should head back!"

Normally, Yu would have taken that advice, but she made a promise and after hearing the tone in Shadow Yukiko's voice… She couldn't turn back now. "Let's go, guys."

…

…

* * *

**Quick update: Klonoa can't spell Sukukaja for crap! Thanks guys for telling me about it! Now make sure you keep an eye out for that because I have a feeling I might have missed one.**

A/N End of chapter. Hello! I'm back and I'm here to stay! Sorry about the two-month hiatus, but I get easily distracted and let me tell you what happened in June… Let me tell you about _Homestuck_!

Kidding, I won't explain what it is. However, I will tell you that back in May, when I overheard about the Homestuck hiatus, I decided to start reading it…and I did. I got to Act 3 Intermission and stopped reading for a bit since May was a busy month for me, what with graduation and the fact that it took me three days to get there (I have no life). I kept putting the rest of Homestuck off until I got told that it was updating again. Then I got all HO SHIT GOTTA CATCH UP!

And I did…I spent three days reading the rest of Homestuck. By the time I finished Act 5, I was fucking crying. It was just…overwhelming because so much had happened. There are a crap-ton of pages for that webcomic and I just kept going at it.

I caught up on June 17, 2013 and since then, I have been getting used to actually WAITING for an update. I have also jumped into a new fandom, as you can see by the story _SWACAstuck_. If you guys are interested in reading it, go ahead.

**SWACA** (Streamers Without A Cool Acronym) would love to hear feedback, including me since I'm part of **SWACA** and oh, if you guys haven't noticed, I actually stream video games on the internet. Just not now since my computer is shit and I'll be getting a new one soon, so I'll get back to it.

Anyways, _SWACAstuck_ basically involves a few members from the group. It involves me, my moirail (look it up) **Roni_Valentine**, **PanaSule** my go-to-FAQ-reader, and **DarkenedRazor**, leader of **SWACA** and member of **Hellfirecomms**. SWACA is an affiliate of **Hellfirecomms**, look it up if you're curious. _SWACAstuck_ is mostly written for fun and just because I want **SWACA** to get some attention.

That aside, I regret nothing…except not updating, but hey! Look! You guys got an update and a bit of a heads up, there's another one coming soon after. I'm halfway into chapter 11, so expect it up by the end of the week…hopefully I don't get distracted, because I am most likely going to get distracted. The only reason I got back into this was because I completed my first Persona 4 Golden run and I am using a New Game +, but boy do I regret going Very Hard Mode.

Let's focus on this chapter. I REALLY hated writing this chapter because it was just…It's been a while since chapter 9 and my writing just…ugh, I just couldn't get into it. I apologize for the low-quality chapter because it certainly looks that way to me. Bleck... In other news, the innuendos have begun and the rating is slowly starting to go up! Let's see how many more chapters it'll take until that T changes into an M…because it's gonna happen! I'm making it happen!

More stuff involving the Personas happen and we are introduced to Senri! Yeah, her background pretty much states she disguises herself as a beautiful woman to steal the vitality of men. I decided to play with that and BAM, we got Senri checking out Yosuke's ass. I regret nothing.

I looked into Pixie and her mythology. Thing is that Pixies have been known to lead people astray by calling their name. They are never heard from again if that happens and to prevent that, you have to turn your coat inside out. Also, Pixies have a need to be clothed and they love ribbon…and they're usually harmless. As mentioned before, they reward consideration and punish neglect.

Also, creativity/originality punched this story again with how Personas are capable of controlling their users. Tomoe and Chie doing their own thing is basically what I think would represent the AI if you let it control a party member. It's pretty much luck-based. Tomoe is also there to remind everyone that Personas are sentient. Keep that in mind.

Oh and that bit with Yosuke knowing Trafuri was a mistake I made. He shouldn't know that move UNTIL his Social Link ranks 2. However, since he hasn't used it yet, I can give the excuse that he is aware that he knows it, but he can't use it yet like Pixie. He doesn't know that yet, so…yeah.

I really loved how the anime portrayed Yukiko and I'm just gonna say…you're gonna be seeing a lot of her next chapter. It's pretty Yukiko-centric, so get used to it. Also, get used to Personas like Pixie and Angel talking.

That's about it for now and crappy chapter name is crappy, but it's all I got and I will be taking suggestions if anyone has a better name for this chapter! Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Wait patiently for the next one! Oh, and before I forget…

This story has 101 favorites, 106 alerts, it's in a community, has 91 reviews (nine more to go guys), and over 14,420 hits. I'm really proud of this story and it really does make all the time I spend writing worth it. It makes it even more worth it because you guys are really considerate in your reviews.

Just…thank you guys for being so patient with me. And a big shout-out for **Pooka Spirit** for being reviewer #90 and **BrightDarkness-2013** for being reviewer #80. A notable mention goes to **Paper Crease** and **LemonySean** and I can't forget my social link buddy, **UnstableFable**! Yeah! You guys are awesome.

Hope you guys stick around for the next chapter! Reviews are always welcomed, especially constructive criticism, but NO FLAMES. Anyways, until next chapter! KD out! XD


	11. The Priestess

"_**In other words, she's a manager who's still in high school."**_

Yukiko's eyes widened. She knew that voice…it belonged to that idiot reporter who interviewed her. She hated everything about what he said.

"_**Now that has a nice ring to it…"**_

Yukiko wanted to avoid him, but she couldn't.

"_**Let's see if we can interview her."**_

She wanted to tell him off, but she was being recorded on television.

"_**Excuse me!"**_

"Shut up!" Yukiko didn't care how loud she was. She wanted the voice to go away.

It did go away, but it was soon replaced with a voice belonging to a male student. _**"H-Hey, Yukiko-san. Mind if I ask you something…? Is it true that announcer's staying at your family's inn?"**_

Yukiko clutched her head. "Shut up, shut up!"

"_**Someday, though…"**_ the reporter's voice returned. _**"That aside, wow! You're looking gorgeous in that kimono. You must have a lot of male visitors."**_

"Leave me alone!" Yukiko hated how often she received compliments on her looks. Nobody saw her for who she really was…nobody except her family and Chie… Chie…she was always overlooked because of her. Nobody noticed Chie…nobody except her. "I'm sick of it…"

Yukiko wanted to be like Chie. Chie was shorter than she was. Chie was cute and spunky. Chie wouldn't let stuff like this bother her… Chie wouldn't be crying because Chie was stronger. Why was Yukiko the only one who noticed?

"_**You must really take good care of your hair for it to be this beautiful!"**_

Yukiko covered her ears and hunched over. She didn't want to hear it. "Go away…"

"_**Which hair products do you use?"**_

"Shut up…" Yukiko could hear her voice beginning to crack.

"_**You must be real proud of having such long hair! It takes a lot of work to maintain it! I bet your hair has never met a pair of scissors—"**_

"Shut the fuck up!" Yukiko screamed. She didn't need this…all it did was trigger unpleasant memories.

"_**Seven days…"**_

Yukiko froze. "No…"

"_**Seven days…"**_

Yukiko choked back a sob. "No."

"_**Say, do you want to help out with the haunted house?"**_

"_**Doesn't she look like Sadako?"**_

"_**Oh my gosh, you're right!"**_

"_**It's her hair that does it!"**_

Yukiko had been so ecstatic when she was told that. She had caught those girls off guard with her smile and eager reply. She loved anything horror-related and just being offered a spot to help out with her class's haunted house for the cultural festival made her day. That happened when she was in grade seven…she was only twelve.

It had started out innocent enough, but it all went awry when a boy in grade eight walked up to her. And after that, everything fell out of place and Yukiko was nicknamed Sadako. At first, Yukiko thought nothing much of it, but a few weeks later…

"_**Thanks for letting me borrow your notebook, Sadako! Sorry it's a little worn-out, but I'm sure you don't mind."**_

Yukiko remembered the state her notebook was in when it was returned to her. It was falling apart and every note she had painstakingly taken was scribbled out or smeared with black ink. She remembered the insults that were written in that weren't there before. She was called a witch, ugly, and a few others that she didn't want to name.

That day, Yukiko threw her notebook into the incinerator and took care to take her school belongings with her every day. She was quite glad she kept a copy of her notebook. She was also quite glad that no one was aware that she shared a shoe locker with Chie. Yukiko had been receiving notes in her own locker. She was annoyed with the mess of notes she made when she pulled out her shoes out of her locker, so she took to sharing shoe lockers with Chie. Chie didn't mind and didn't question Yukiko when she finally stopped sharing lockers.

Yukiko was glad Chie didn't ask, but a small part of her wish she did. Chie never knew about it and Yukiko made sure it stayed that way. Yukiko didn't want Chie involved and the girls only picked on her when Chie wasn't around. Yukiko was always by Chie's side, so it didn't really matter to her.

Of course, Yukiko was aware that Chie couldn't always be there for her, such as when she went to the restroom. Yukiko just made sure to stay in her stall until she knew she was completely alone in the restroom, otherwise she would be pelted with toilet paper.

The few times it was her turn to stay after school for cleaning duties were another. Chie and Yukiko were assigned under separate days. It was always an annoyance for the two that was only made worse for Yukiko, as she soon found out.

"_**You missed a spot, Sadako!"**_

_**Splash!**_

Yukiko had been drenched in dirty water, but she continued to clean up. She knew her tormentors were looking for a reaction and she wasn't giving them any. She hoped they would soon grow bored with her. She almost thought they did, but then it happened.

Chie got sick and had to stay home all week, leaving Yukiko completely alone for once. It was the last week of school before winter vacation, so the girls weren't pulling any punches. During that week, Yukiko had to make sure there weren't any thumbtacks on her seat before she sat down at her desk. She always made sure her bag was always with her and never out of her sight. A few times, there was a rude message for her on the chalkboard, but she ignored it.

One of the girls picking on her finally had enough and stopped to apologize to her. Yukiko thought she made progress. She thought she made a new friend… She thought she wouldn't regret giving that girl her number.

Yukiko never stopped to think that her number could have been shared with others.

**_PI PI PI PI PI PI PI!_**

It was midnight when Yukiko first received the call. Her phone woke her up and, in her sluggish state, she answered her phone without checking the number. What happened next still haunted Yukiko to this day.

**"_Seven days…"_**

Winter vacation was absolute hell for Yukiko. She kept receiving random calls and text messages involving the same two words every day at any given time. A few times, she got in trouble with her mother for leaving her cell phone at home when she hung out with Chie. Yukiko always made the excuse that's she had forgotten to charge it, which she did. She wanted every excuse she could get to leave her phone out of her sight and escape the phone calls and text messages.

Chie never knew the torment Yukiko had kept from her. She never knew that Yukiko spent a few minutes every night deleting all the messages that had accumulated within a day in her inbox. She never noticed that Yukiko was slowly losing control of herself.

Chie never noticed until it was too late.

…

…

* * *

The red mist was becoming much denser, making it difficult to look ahead at times. The Shadows hid within the red mist, but Chie made sure to avoid them as she ran down the hallway, looking for the right door. Tomoe cleared the way at times, managing to one-shot most of the Shadows, with a little help from Jiraiya and Pixie. Yu, Yosuke, and Teddie followed after Chie. There was nothing they could do to stop Chie at this point.

They had heard Yukiko's voice, not her Shadow's, but the real Yukiko. They had heard her screams and her sobs. They had heard a few voices they didn't recognize, but Chie knew what it was about and refused to say anything. The voices were self-explanatory by the time the name "Sadako" popped up.

It was horrible having to hear the pained cries of a tormented girl as she relieved unpleasant memories. It was even more horrible for Chie, who dealt with the burden of finding out about everything once the damage had been done. She still remembered the look on Yukiko's face.

It was the same look her Shadow had after she had been taken down. Chie hated that look because it reminded her that she had been unable to notice what Yukiko kept from her until it was too late.

Upon reaching the next floor, Shadow Yukiko's voice spoke again over Yukiko's cries. **"Hasn't my Prince come yet? My dear Prince… Please hurry and take me away! Somewhere… To a world where no one knows me…"**

"Just you wait, Yukiko! I'm coming for you!" Chie continued down the hallway, kicking down the nearest door in hopes of finding the stairs. It was happening again… Yukiko was keeping something from her. Chie promised she wouldn't let it happen again… "What did I do wrong?"

"Don't blame yourself, Chie!" Yu managed to catch up to Chie. "Remember you still have something to say to Amagi-san! Just keep that in mind!"

Chie looked at Yu and nodded her head. "Right! Thank you, Yu…"

…

…

* * *

Yukiko blinked when she heard a door opening. She rubbed her eyes and looked back. The red fog had vanished and she could finally look at her surroundings. She was inside a throne room of sorts and at the door, was a princess dressed in pink.

"Who…who are you?" Yukiko sniffed.

The princess laughed and starting walking down the red carpet, the door closing itself behind her. Yukiko noticed the princess's voice was distorted.

"**Whatever do you mean?"** the princess asked once she reached Yukiko. She knelt down and looked into Yukiko's wide eyes. **"I'm you."**

Yukiko backed away. "How?"

The princess laughed and stood up. **"Are you ready?"**

Yukiko frowned. "Ready for what? Where am I?"

The princess continued laughing as she made her way up the stairs. **"We're in a castle and right about now, our Prince is looking for us. You should be happy… Maybe this time, things won't go as bad as that day…"**

Yukiko stared at the princess in disbelief. "W-What?"

"_**Seven days…"**_

Yukiko clutched her head. "Stop it…"

"**Don't bother…"** The princess sounded so dejected, so…jaded. **"There's nothing we can do to stop it. It's useless trying to fight it…"**

"_**Seven days…"**_

"**Just like it's useless trying to break out of that cage on your own…"**

Yukiko looked at the princess, who had now reached the top of the stairs. "What cage?"

"**The very one that we were born into…" **The princess turned to face Yukiko and smiled. "**Oh, I hope our Prince doesn't mind the mess…you really shouldn't play around with scissors."**

Yukiko had no idea what the princess had been talking about until she looked down in front of her. There was a pile of black hair on the floor. A pair of scissors was on top of the pile, just glimmering in the lighting.

"**Doesn't it just bring back memories?"** the princess asked in a sickly sweet voice. **"You remember the day, don't you?"**

"No…" Yukiko didn't want to remember.

"**How useless you were…"**

"Stop…"

"**Just what were you thinking?"**

"I…" Yukiko choked back a sob. Tears were streaming down her cheeks. "I just wanted to be me…"

"**Hmm…?"** The princess tilted her head to the side. **"What was that?"**

"I wanted to be me!" Yukiko cried out. "Not someone out of a horror movie…not Sadako…I just wanted to be myself…"

The princess pursed her lips. **"Hmm…is that why you did it?"**

Yukiko sobbed. "Yes…"

* * *

…

…

_It was New Year's Eve and Yukiko was in her room, using whatever free time she had to comb her long hair. Chie was coming over to spend the night. After everything Yukiko had been through, she was looking forward to spending time with her friend. The only calls and texts she had received today were from Chie. The day had been going well for her so far and Yukiko could only hope that it would stay that way._

_Today Chie and Yukiko had planned to compare each other's hair length. Since the fourth grade, Chie had started growing out her hair when Yukiko suggested it. They had then made it a habit to check each other's progress on New Year's Eve. Today would be the fourth New Year's Eve they would do this._

_Yukiko took note of how much longer her hair had grown over the year. Her hair almost went down to her knees. It was becoming much more tedious to care for it, but Yukiko didn't mind. It gave Chie the motivation to keep growing out her hair._

"_**If you can do it, then so can I!"**__ Chie had been so hyped up, it was adorable…_

**_PI PI PI PI PI PI PI!_**

_Then it happened… __Yukiko stopped combing her hair and reached into her pocket to pull out her cell phone. She had just received a text message. From whom, Yukiko didn't know since it wasn't from Chie…and some part of herself told her to leave it be._

_"__Should I…?"__Yukiko bit her lip and flipped open her cell phone. Her first thought upon reading the text message was that she should have listened to that part of herself that told her to ignore it. Frustrated, Yukiko closed her cell phone and tried her best to ignore what had just happened. She should have seen it coming._

_By now, the message had been burned into her memory…and she hated it. She hated how much something she loved was being used against her._

**_PI PI PI PI PI PI PI!_**

_Yukiko received another text message, but she ignored it this time. She wasn't falling for it again…_

**_PI PI PI PI PI PI PI!_**

_Yukiko tightened her grasp on her comb. She could care less about the teeth that dug into the palm of her hand. The pain from it was nothing compared to the feeling she felt every time she read or heard those words aimed at her. Those words that never wanted to leave her alone, no matter how hard she tried to get away from it._

**_Seven days…_**

_It was all because she decided to help out with her class's haunted house. That stupid boy just had to walk up to her… She didn't care if he liked her, and she was mad when he questioned her affinity for anything horror-related. She had turned him down and returned to scaring the crap out of people.__ She recalled making Chie cry when she came to visit. Yukiko didn't mean to scare her, it just happened. It didn't help that Yukiko made Chie watch The Ring with her a week before, so Chie was still jittery about it._

**_PI PI PI PI PI PI PI!_**

**_PI PI PI PI PI PI PI!_**

_Yukiko threw her cell phone across the room. She was done with all the Sadako crap. She just wanted it to end. She just wanted to be left alone. She just wanted to be herself again, not some girl out of a horror-movie._

"_**My name is Yukiko Amagi…"**__ Yukiko rubbed her eyes. She was starting to get emotional over this. __**"I am thirteen years old…I am not a witch…I am not a ghost…I am not Sadako…I'm just Yukiko… Chie, where are you?"**_

**_PI PI PI PI PI PI PI!_**

_Yukiko couldn't take it anymore. She wanted to tell Chie everything. She should have never kept it from her. Chie could have put a stop to this before it even began…but no, Yukiko had to keep it to herself. Why did she do that?_

"_**What was I thinking?"**__ Yukiko sniffed. __**"It was stupid…I'm stupid… I'm…useless."**_

_Thinking about it now, Yukiko realized that it was all about her trying to do something on her own. She wanted to do something for once, not depend on Chie to do it for her… And look at how it turned out…_

"_I just made it worse…" It was her fault… She brought this onto herself…and maybe she could get out of it as well. "I'm not completely useless…am I?"_

**_PI PI PI PI PI PI PI!_**

_Those girls kept picking on her for a reason and that was her appearance, specifically the appearance she took on during the cultural festival. __Yukiko did in fact resemble Sadako. If she didn't look like Sadako, then maybe, just maybe…they would leave her alone._

"_Where do I start?" Yukiko looked at herself in the mirror. Her eyes were red and tears streaked her cheeks. She looked horrible when she cried. Her pale skin made it so much more apparent. She never saw the appeal of a fair complexion. She would gladly trade hers with Chie if she could._

_Yukiko almost broke the mirror in anger when she realized that she didn't even have to try to make herself look like Sadako. Her eyes were red from crying and her hair was starting to stick to her face… All she needed was a white burial kimono or a white dress and she could be mistaken for a real-life Sadako._

_Yukiko ignored her phone's constant ringing as she pulled her hair out of her face. It was starting to get in her eyes… Yukiko stopped and looked at her black hair._

"_**Doesn't she look like Sadako?"**_

"_**Oh my gosh, you're right!"**_

"_**It's her hair that does it!"**_

_The more she thought about it, the more she realized __how much of a role her hair played in her appearance. It was long and black and without it covering her face, Yukiko was just some girl wearing a white kimono.__ Without it, Yukiko wouldn't have looked like Sadako…_

"_Without it…" Yukiko bit her lip. "I can finally be myself…"_

**_PI PI PI PI PI PI PI!_**

"_The ringing can finally stop…"_

**_PI PI PI PI PI PI PI!_**

_Yukiko didn't waste any time rummaging through her drawers for the one item that could end it all. She had thrown out all her clothing onto the floor by the time she had found what she was looking for…a pair of scissors. Yukiko had never been so elated to see a pair of scissors. She was shaking as she held them in her hand._

"_It'll all be over soon…" Yukiko grabbed out a handful of her hair and cut._

_**Snip!**_

_There was no turning back, now._

_**Snip! Snip!**_

_There was no precision whatsoever with each cut._

_**Snip! Snip! Snip!**_

_Yukiko just kept cutting and cutting. She just couldn't stop…_

_**Snip!**_

_Yukiko lost track of time as locks of black hair began to pile up on the floor. She just had so much hair… By the time she finally looked at herself in the mirror, all Yukiko had left of her previous hairstyle was her bangs. Whatever was left of her hair was just a choppy and uneven mess, but Yukiko didn't care. The ringing still hadn't stopped._

"_Yukiko, what are you doing?!"_

_Yukiko turned and saw Chie standing in her doorway. __**"When did she get here?"**_

**_PI PI PI PI PI PI PI!_**

_Yukiko's eyes widened. "Make it stop…"_

**_PI PI PI PI PI PI PI!_**

"_The ringing…make it stop!" Yukiko was crying as she held the scissors to her bangs. "Make it stop! Make it stop! MAKE IT STOP!"_

"_**Yukiko, stop!"**_

…

…

* * *

Yukiko stared wide-eyed at the pair of scissor in her hand. She had no idea what had just happened, but was completely aware of how close the scissors were to her hair. She shrieked and threw the scissors across the room.

"What…what happened?" Yukiko was trembling. For a brief amount of time, she had not been in control of herself. She almost cut her hair again…

"**It seems our Prince is coming to our rescue…"** The princess smiled as she sat down on her throne. She looked down at Yukiko and sneered. **"You got lucky this time…"**

Yukiko shuddered. She didn't like this at all…

* * *

…

…

There were eight floors altogether in the castle, the group found out as the eighth floor consisted of one seemingly endless hallway shrouded in red fog. There were no signs of any Shadows, it was just them and, according to Teddie, Yukiko and her Shadow. The thought of Yukiko being alone with her own Shadow frightened Chie. At any given time, Shadow Yukiko could kill Yukiko, regardless of the fact that the fog hadn't lifted in this world yet.

Chie wasn't sure how long Yukiko was going to be tormented until she denied her Shadow's existence. Chie hoped that would never happen, because she didn't know what she would do with herself if she had to fight Yukiko. Shadow or not, she was still Yukiko and just thinking about fighting her made Chie sick.

Chie realized how increasingly uncomfortable she was becoming as she got closer and closer to where everyone assumed Yukiko would be, which was at the end of the hallway. The more she thought about it, the more she questioned herself. Why was she doing all of this? Why was Yukiko so important to her?

What was so special about Yukiko?

"**Make it stop…"**

Chie stopped abruptly as Yukiko's voice echoed down the hallway.

"**The ringing…"**

"Yukiko…" She could hear how tortured Yukiko was.

"**Make it stop!"**

It made her feel sick… How could she ever question herself for going out of her way just for Yukiko?

"**Make it stop! Make it stop! MAKE IT STOP!"**

"Yukiko, stop!" Chie yelled as loudly as she could. She was aware that she was crying, but she didn't care. She wanted her voice to be heard. She wanted Yukiko to know that she was close by. She just wanted Yukiko to know so that she could finally feel safe.

Keeping Yukiko safe was Chie's top priority because without her, Chie was nothing.

Yukiko gave Chie a reason to live.

"_That's right…"_ Chie had almost forgotten. There was something she had to tell Yukiko. It was something that Chie had never told Yukiko. "You're not the only one with secrets…"

Tomoe gave Chie a wistful glance before looking back at Yu, Yosuke, and Teddie. They had been watching Chie the entire time. It was because of Yu that no one said anything. She kept them quiet and for that, Tomoe was thankful. Otherwise, Chie might have not made that decision at all…

"Let's go, guys!" Chie was ready to do this, as was the rest of the group. She still wasn't up for listening completely to Yu, but only because Yukiko was involved.

Yu had figured that out when she saw the look on Chie's face as she rushed ahead. She had only known Chie for a week, but that's all she needed to know how much Chie cared for Yukiko. That's why she let it slide when Chie decided to leave them behind, because Yu would have done the same… _"If it was Senpai…"_

Chie started running again, but this time, she made sure that Yu, Yosuke, and Teddie were able to catch up. She needed all the help she could get…and all the support as well. When she finally came across the door, Chie hesitated to open it. She had no idea what to expect. She almost doubted herself, but a reassuring look from Yu gave Chie the courage to kick down the door.

"_For Yukiko!"_ Chie thought. "YUKIKO!"

"Chie?!"

Words could not describe the various emotions flooding Chie as she saw Yukiko across the room from her. Chie almost wanted to cry, but now wasn't the time for tears. She was just happy to see that Yukiko was alive and well.

"**Fufufu…"** Distorted laughter caught everyone's attention. Sitting on the throne at the top of the stairs was Shadow Yukiko. She looked over everyone as the door behind them closed. **"What's this? Three Princes are here to see me?! My my! Aren't I popular?"**

"Tch…" A small bead of sweat rolled down the side of Yukiko's face.

Shadow Yukiko ignored Yukiko and kept her attention on the group. **"Awwwww… I wish I'd gotten a better look at you while you were just Princes-in-training! Well, never mind that… Is it just me, or is it getting quite crowded here?"**

There was a suggestive tone in Shadow Yukiko's voice that made Chie and Yu uncomfortable. Teddie was just clueless and Yosuke was even more uncomfortable due to all the harassment from Senri. He just couldn't take anymore of this. It was too creepy.

"**Why don't you and I go somewhere else…?"** Shadow Yukiko had a dreamy look on her face as she stood up. **"A land far, far away, where no one knows me. If you're my Prince, you'd take me there, won't you? C'mon…pretty please?"**

At that moment, Teddie picked the appropriate time to finally understand something. "Oooh. Is this 'scoring a hot stud'?!"

Yukiko overheard Teddie. "What?!"

Yosuke scowled and bonked Teddie over the head. "Now's not the time for that, you stupid bear!"

"Waah, Yosuke's so mean!" Teddie exclaimed.

Chie had stayed quiet. There was something that Shadow Yukiko had said that got her thinking. "Three Princes…? Wait, does that include me, too…?"

Shadow Yukiko blinked and looked at Chie. **"Hmm…?"**

Teddie furrowed his brow. "Duh! The third one's gotta be me!"

Yosuke diverted his eyes to the side. "I seriously doubt that…"

"**Chie…"** Shadow Yukiko chuckled. **"Yes, she's my Prince…"**

"What?" Chie was shocked.

"**Don't be so surprised."** Shadow Yukiko walked closer to the edge of the stairs. **"I'm sure none of us can forget the past…"**

"Shut up…" Yukiko didn't want to remember.

Shadow Yukiko chuckled. **"Chie's a strong Prince…Or at least, she WAS."**

Chie was confused. "Was…?"

"Chie look out!" Yu exclaimed.

Chie blinked and found herself pulled back as a chandelier came crashing down in front of her. "W-What?"

Yu was relieved that Tomoe pulled Chie out of the way in time. "Guys, get ready… It's starting…"

Shadow Yukiko angrily stomped her foot on the floor. Almost immediately, the chandelier was pulled off the floor by its chain. **"When it comes down to it, Chie's just not good enough! She can't take me away from here! She can't save me! What use do I have for an incompetent Prince?!"**

"S-Stop!" Yukiko forced herself to stand up. It was difficult because she felt so heavy and her head was pounding, but she wanted it all to stop. Chie was going to get hurt at this rate.

Shadow Yukiko scowled and the chandelier began to swing. **"Historic inn? Manager training?! I'm sick of all these things chaining me down!"**

Jiraiya tried to stop the chandelier from moving, but he wasn't strong enough. He ended up being forcefully pinned against the wall by the chandelier. Jiraiya was in pain and Yosuke felt that pain in his stomach. It was unbearable…he couldn't move.

"Narukami…" Yosuke looked at Yu.

Yu crushed a blue card. "Izanagi!"

Izanagi flew to Jiraiya's aid and tried to remove the chandelier. It wasn't exactly easy and Izanagi couldn't get the chandelier to budge. Tomoe was about ready to help Izanagi, but something kept her from it. She, Chie, and Teddie were being held down by the red carpet.

"**I never asked to be born here! Everything's decided for me! From how I live, to where I die!"**

Yu held Yosuke stand up. Jiraiya was still trapped, but Izanagi managed to move the chandelier so it wasn't keeping him immobilized.

"We have to help Amagi-san…" Yu told Yosuke.

Yosuke grimaced, but nodded. "Okay."

Before the two could even take a step, Shadow Yukiko screamed. **"I'm so sick of it! To hell with it all!"**

Suddenly, the lit candles on the chandelier flared up and candle wax spurted out onto Yu and Yosuke's ankles, trapping them in their spots.

"Ack, it's hot!" Yosuke tensed up.

Yu clenched her teeth as she tried to break out. "Damn it, at this rate…"

_Thud!_

Yukiko dropped onto her knees despondently. "That's not true…you're wrong…"

Shadow Yukiko smiled manically and turned her back to Yukiko. **"I just want to go somewhere far away… Anywhere but here…. Someone, please take me away… I can't leave here on my own… I'm completely useless…"**

Yukiko scowled. Her other self was mocking her… "Shut up…just shut up…"

Shadow Yukiko turned to face Yukiko again. **"I have no hope if I stay, and no courage to leave… So I sit on my ass hoping that someday my Prince will come! I don't care where we go! Anywhere's fine! As long as it's not here, I don't give a damn! Historical tradition? Pride of the town? What a bunch of bullshit!"**

"How dare you…!" Yukiko glared daggers at her other self.

Shadow Yukiko ceased smiling. **"That's how I really feel. Isn't that right…me?!"**

Yukiko forced herself to stand up. "N-No!"

Chie stopped trying to pull herself out of the red carpet and turned to Yukiko. "Yukiko, no!"

"Don't say it!" Yosuke exclaimed.

"Amagi-san!" Yu yelled.

"No!" It was too late. "You're not me!"

Yukiko had been too enraged to listen to anybody, even Chie. That princess was not her… Yukiko would never say anything like that…

"**Heeheehee…!"** Shadow Yukiko started laughing maniacally. The dark aura emanating from her was becoming much more evident as it darkened. **"Aaaah! It feels wonderful! It's building…more and more… If this keeps up… I'll… I'll…!"**

Laughter echoed throughout the room as Shadow Yukiko was engulfed in a ball of dark energy. The ball of dark energy then shot up into the air and disappeared for a brief moment. A few seconds later, a large, chandelier came crashing down onto the floor. The chandelier doubled as a cage, one that was occupied by what became of Shadow Yukiko.

Shadow Yukiko now took on the form of a bird with fiery-red plumage. She had a cream-colored, heart-shaped breast and still retained her face and black hair. She was trapped inside the cage and looked rather uncomfortable for some reason. When the cage door swung open, the reason for Shadow Yukiko's discomfort was made evident when she moved in closer to the open door and spread her wings. She had a large wingspan and her cage was too small to accommodate to it.

**"I am a Shadow…the true self."** Shadow Yukiko flapped her wings, sending red feathers everywhere.

Yukiko stared wide-eyed at her Shadow, completely horrified of what it became. Unbeknownst to her, the bird cage that had been left on the floor started moving towards her. At the last second, Yukiko shrieked as the bird cage morphed into a much larger cage and trapped her inside. A large chain came down and hooked itself around the top of the cage and pulled up, lifting the cage with Yukiko inside off the floor.

"Yukiko!" Chie yelled.

Yukiko grasped the cage's bars. "Chie!"

Something snapped inside Chie at the moment. "Yukiko!"

Tomoe's eyes widened as she felt a burst of energy. She felt stronger and much more motivated to escape. It took her a few seconds, but Tomoe finally freed herself from the red carpet by slicing it apart with her double-bladed staff.

At that same moment, Izanagi had freed Jiraiya and the both of them were now working together to dislodge the chain keeping the chandelier up. All it took was a few swipes from Jiraiya's shuriken to completely break the chain. Izanagi and Jiraiya then promptly dropped the chandelier and sent it crashing onto the floor.

Tomoe moved over to Chie and freed her. Chie quickly stood up and focused her attention on Yukiko. "Just hang in there, Yukiko! I'm right here for you!"

Shadow Yukiko laughed. **"Oh really…? Then I'll make sure to give you plenty to deal with!"**

Shadow Yukiko flapped her wings a few times, sending feathers everywhere, but mostly in Chie's direction. Within seconds, the feathers lit up and burst into flames. The flames lit up the entire room and reached everyone.

Yu was pulled out of the way by Izanagi to avoid the brunt of the fire. By the time it reached Yosuke, the flames had died down, leaving behind a wave of hot air.

"Hot!" Yosuke clenched his teeth as he covered his face. The air was hot enough to melt away the wax trapping his feet to the floor. It was also hot enough to nearly burn his skin. He was quite glad it was just hot air, because otherwise, he'd be like Teddie, who was running around with his tail on fire.

Chie had an extremely negative reaction to the flames. Being the closest person to Shadow Yukiko, Chie felt the brunt of the fire directly with her Persona. It didn't end there. The fire did much more to Chie, aside from burning her and causing her extreme pain. It also disoriented her to the point of losing her sense of balance.

It wasn't a surprise that Chie was screaming in pain. It was, however, shocking to hear that the usually silent Tomoe was screaming as well. That alone earned the two horrified looks from Yu and Yosuke.

"Teddie, what's going on?!" Yu had a feeling something was extremely wrong. "Why is she screaming like that? Why are they screaming like that?!"

Teddie looked nervously at Yu, having just put out the fire on his tail. "Chie-chan isn't weak to Garu skills…she's weak to Agi skills."

There was no way that any of them had been prepared to keep Chie protected from her own weakness. Not when Chie's previously thought weakness only applied to her Shadow.

"New plan, Hanamura, get to Chie!" Yu was worried about Chie. "Do whatever you can to distract Amagi-san's Shadow!"

Yosuke did as he was told and rushed towards Chie. He had Jiraiya use Garu on Shadow Yukiko. Shadow Yukiko retreated into her cage and avoided the blast of green wind. This gave Yosuke a chance to heal Chie and help her off the floor.

"Are you okay?" Yosuke winced when he saw a few burns on Chie's skin. Dia managed to heal them quickly, but it did nothing to fix the damage done to Chie's clothing. Luckily, for Chie, the fire only singed her clothing and a bit of her hair, something that the latter can easily be fixed with a small trim.

Chie didn't really care. She was just glad she could stand up again. "Ugh…what happened?"

"You need to be really careful…" Yosuke explained. "You're not weak to Garu skills…you're weak to Agi. You might want to avoid Amagi-san's Shadow or else she can really hurt you."

Chie was horrified. "What? But how am I going to get to Yukiko, then?"

Yukiko's cage was nearby Shadow Yukiko, just hanging in the air, swaying left to right. Chie would have to get past Shadow Yukiko to get to Yukiko and with her recent discovery… It was suicidal of her to even get near Shadow Yukiko.

Still…

"Yukiko! I'm coming for you!" Chie wasn't going to leave her friend hanging. Not after all she had been through just looking for her. Chie had nothing left to lose at this point. It was save Yukiko, or die trying and Chie wasn't afraid of dying. Nothing could compare to the fear of losing Yukiko forever.

Yosuke made sure that Chie was completely healed up before he let her run off towards Yukiko. He needed to tell Yu about this so they could both help Chie. Chie needed all the help she could get.

…

Yukiko watched Chie as she ran towards her. She couldn't believe what Chie was doing for her. Chie had done so much for her and never asked for anything in return… "Chie, watch out!"

Shadow Yukiko was swinging her cage towards Chie. Chie was unable to avoid Shadow Yukiko and was knocked back onto the floor.

"Chie!" Yukiko tightened her gasps on the bars. If only she wasn't trapped…

Shadow Yukiko laughed darkly as her cage stopped swinging. **"I thought Chie would be able to save me ever since she stopped me that one time… But…she was just as useless as me! She wasn't my Prince at all!"**

The cage door swung open and Shadow Yukiko peered out to spread her wings. **"Come, now, my Prince! Why don't we dance and make merry together?"**

_BAM!_

Another chandelier came crashing down in front of Yu, Yosuke, and Teddie. Teddie blinked a few times and shrieked as a masked figure stood on the chandelier, gripping the chain tightly with on hand and holding a sword in the other.

The masked figure wore regal clothing with a flowing red cape. Silver armor covered the lower half of their body, mainly around the legs. They had on silver gauntlets and a breastplate of the same color. A white mask completely obscured the figure's face, save for their eyes, which were golden in color. They had short, brown hair and wore a small crown on the top of their head.

It was Shadow Yukiko's Prince and she was ecstatic to see him. **"My Prince! My dear, sweet Charming Prince! You'll never leave me, will you?"**

The Charming Prince, as he was called, remained silent, but pointed his sword at the trio.

"Oh crap…" Yu and Yosuke said simultaneously.

"**Chie can never compare to my Prince!"** Shadow Yukiko laughed.

"So what if I'm not your Prince…?"

Shadow Yukiko stopped laughing and turned away from the Charming Prince. **"What was that?!"**

Chie groaned as she pushed herself off the floor. She shook her head and glared at Shadow Yukiko. "You heard me… I came this far just because I wanted to save Yukiko."

Tomoe helped Chie stand up until she was able to stand on her own. Tomoe then focused her attention on Shadow Yukiko as she readied her double-bladed staff.

"Isn't it incredible just to have someone who truly cares about you?" Chie panted as she unzipped her jacket. She felt her heart beginning to pound within her chest as she removed her jacket. The area around Shadow Yukiko was too hot for her to keep her jacket on, especially since she was wearing her winter uniform's long-sleeved shirt underneath. "Isn't it?!"

Shadow Yukiko stayed silent.

"What more do you want from me?!" Chie felt tears beginning to prick her eyes. "Tell me, so I can help you! Please…tell me!"

"**I…I…I HAD ENOUGH!"** The candles surrounding Shadow Yukiko flared up and ignited the surrounding red feathers. Soon, flames spread around the room as everything caught on fire.

"Protect me, Tomoe!" Tomoe guarded Chie and managed to lessen the damage of the fire attack. Chie was glad she got rid of her jacket because it was so hot. At the same time, she regretted it because her shirt's sleeves had caught on fire and the sleeves were so closefitting.

The fire had gotten out of control and blocked off Chie from the rest of the group. Yu, Yosuke, and Teddie were trapped with the Charming Prince, whom had just jumped off the chandelier to attack them. Izanagi was quick to block off the attack and quickly countered with Zio. It proved to be the Charming Prince's weakness and it gave Yu and Yosuke the opportunity to gang up on him.

Meanwhile with Chie, the short-haired girl had managed to pat out the flames on her sleeves at the cost of burning the palms of her hands. She was going to have to replace her shirt after this, but Chie didn't care. She turned her attention to Yukiko.

Yukiko looked wistfully at Chie. She couldn't stand to see her friend get burned by the flames. "Chie, run away! Please…I'm not worth it! Just go before you get hurt!"

…

…

"I'm not going to run away, Yukiko." Chie walked towards Yukiko.

Yukiko was shocked. "What?"

_Riiip!_

Chie ripped off one of her sleeves and threw it aside as she kept moving forward. "I have something I need to tell you…Aagh!"

Chie stopped and covered her face as a gust of strong wind, courtesy of Shadow Yukiko, sent a wave of flames towards her. The air was hot and the flames were burning brightly. It made it difficult for Chie to see, but she didn't give up. She ripped off her other remaining sleeve and looked at Yukiko.

"I was always jealous of you…" Chie recalled how often Yukiko scores were within the top ten after every exam. She also recalled how often Yukiko was surrounded by boys. "You were really popular with guys…and nobody paid any attention to me. Nobody, except for you, that is… I was so happy that you needed my help… because it made me think that you needed me to protect you. It gave me a purpose…"

"**That's right!"** Shadow Yukiko screeched. **"I can't do anything on my own! I'm helpless!"**

"That's not true!" Chie caught Yukiko by surprise with that response. "Yukiko…you're really a strong person. You want to escape? Then do it!"

Yukiko stared wide-eyed at Chie. "Wha?"

"You can break free of that cage all on your own!" Chie kept walking closer to Yukiko. "Leave there and go wherever you want! You gotta listen to me…I know you can do it!"

"You're wrong, Chie…" Yukiko was crying now. "I'm not strong…"

Even back then, on the day her caged friend escaped from its cage, she wasn't heartbroken. She was humiliated. The bird she had thought was so much like her had flown free of its cage. She had forgotten to lock the cage, but that was it. The bird had managed to open the cage door on its own, having found the courage it needed to do so.

On the last day of her first year of high school, Yukiko had thrown away the cage that once housed the little bird she cared for. She didn't want to acknowledge what it had done. That even such a little bird could find the courage to leave, unlike her.

"I'm pathetic…" Yukiko sobbed. "I waited on someone else to set me free, because I'm too afraid to do it myself."

"So what?!" Chie coughed as she neared Yukiko. "It's okay to be afraid!"

"Chie!" Yukiko watched Chie as she fell onto the floor.

Chie was having trouble breathing with all the fire consuming the surrounding oxygen. It was getting difficult for her to talk, but it was nothing compared to the heavy feeling in her heart as she recalled what she wanted to tell Yukiko.

"There are parts of me that I'm not really proud of either…" Tears streamed down Chie's cheeks. "Horrible things that I'm really ashamed of…because I kept them from you…"

Yukiko's eyes widened. "Wha…?"

"Listen!" Chie stood up and looked at Yukiko. She was so close…the only thing keeping them away was the cage itself. "You think you're weak? Look at me! I can't do anything without you! I'm only strong because of you… I got this far because I was afraid of losing you! You're the reason I'm still alive!"

"Chie…" Yukiko couldn't believe it.

"You have no idea how much it really meant to just say, 'thank you' to me…" Chie choked back a sob. "I was always ignored and there you were, acknowledging my existence… No matter what happens, I'll always be there for you! Because you were there for me when I needed you the most…you just never knew it because I never told you."

"Stop!" Shadow Yukiko shrieked as she flapped her wings, sending the flames everywhere.

Chie ignored Shadow Yukiko and held out her hand to Yukiko. "Thank you, Yukiko… Thank you for being my friend."

Yukiko looked at Chie. The more she thought about it, the more she questioned herself. _"What was I so afraid of?"_

Yukiko found it so much easier to stand up. The bars felt so fragile when she grabbed them, almost as if just one wrong movement could break them.

"_There was nothing to fear…"_ Yukiko tightened her grip on the bars and tried to pull them apart. It took a few tries until the bars just shattered and she was finally free. Chie was there to catch her, their hands entwining as the two embraced. It felt so good to just lean on Chie's shoulder again…just knowing Chie was there for her despite everything. "Chie, thank you…"

"Uh-uh…" Chie found herself crying into Yukiko's shoulder. "Yukiko…do me a favor and look at my wrists…just do it before I change my mind…"

Yukiko blinked and looked at Chie's wrists. Her eyes widened upon looking at them. "Chie…why?"

"You were always gone…" Chie sobbed. "Because you were so busy…Everyone but you, ignored me…and just…I…It was almost like you were ignoring me…and it hurt…I'm sorry…"

"It's okay…" Yukiko smiled and stroked Chie's hair as her friend continued to cry into her shoulder. "I'm here…"

Chie sniffed. "I know…"

…

…

Back with Yu and Yosuke, the Charming Prince was starting to falter after so much damage. He had put up a good fight, being able to use Makajam on Yu and keep her from using her Persona. Were it not for Yosuke, Yu wouldn't have made it this far.

Tomoe was taking care of Shadow Yukiko, making sure that she didn't disturb Chie and Yukiko. The very reason why Tomoe acted on her own the entire time was because she knew Chie was willing to risk her own life for Yukiko. Tomoe wanted Chie to survive. She wanted Chie to make it to Yukiko…so Chie could finally stop hurting. Even after that, Tomoe will still make sure to keep an eye on Chie…this time, with a little help from Yukiko.

_C-craack!_

Yu's eyes widened as she watched the Charming Prince's mask began to break after landing a solid hit with her katana. The Charming Prince staggered back, his mask continuing to break until it split in half and fell off, revealing the Charming Prince's real face.

"Whoa…" Yosuke nearly dropped his wrenches in shock.

The Charming Prince was Shadow Yukiko's manifestation of the idea of someone saving her. Despite all she had said, Shadow Yukiko never did forget about Chie because, deep down, there was still some hope in Chie. That was why the Charming Prince looked exactly like Chie. And just like Chie, the Charming Prince never gave up.

The Charming Prince kept fighting, despite knowing she was at a disadvantage against Yu, due to being weak against Zio, but she still kept fighting. Another hit from Zio rendered her dizzy and she swayed left to right, trying her best to keep her balance. It took her a few seconds to realize that she wasn't going to make it. Using the last of her strength, the Charming Prince used a spell on Shadow Yukiko.

"What's going on?" Yu turned to Teddie.

"She's using Diarama!" Teddie replied. "It's a healing spell more powerful than Dia!"

Yosuke grimaced. "Aw, crap…"

_Thud!_

The Charming Prince fell back onto the floor and dissolved into a puddle of black slime, leaving behind only her sword and her crown. Upon discovery her recent recovery of health, Shadow Yukiko turned to the Charming Prince and shrieked.

"**My Prince! My dear Prince!"** Shadow Yukiko let out a bird-like cry and waited almost impatiently as she looked around. **"Why…? Why…? Why won't she come back?! Uuurgh, you're in my way!"**

Shadow Yukiko moved over to Tomoe and attacked her with her talons. Tomoe managed to avoid most of the hits, but still got hurt in the process. Chie felt the pain of the attack and realized that she and Yukiko weren't safe just yet. Chie grabbed Yukiko's hand and pulled her away from her Shadow.

The two made their way over to Yu and Yosuke, who were healing up after their battle with the Charming Prince. Teddie was keeping an eye on Shadow Yukiko, looking for any information worth telling Yu about.

"Satonaka, are you okay?" Yosuke quickly had Jiraiya use Dia on Chie.

Chie sighed. "I'm fine…so is Yukiko."

Yukiko looked questioningly at Jiraiya and Izanagi. "Who are they?"

"They're Personas," Yu replied. "We'll talk about them later, right now there's something we need to do… Chie, are you fine with leaving Amagi-san with Teddie?"

Chie looked at Teddie and frowned. "I dunno…"

Yukiko placed her hand on Chie's shoulder. "It's fine, now… I'll be okay."

"Are you sure?" Chie didn't want to leave Yukiko with Teddie.

Yukiko nodded. "I'm sure…be careful…"

"You too…and Teddie, you better make sure she doesn't get hurt!" Chie looked sternly at Teddie.

Teddie smiled. "I will!"

"C'mon, I think we've left Tomoe on her own long enough!" Yosuke exclaimed.

Yu nodded. "This is it, guys…"

"Say, after this…can we go out for steak?" Chie asked innocently.

Before Yosuke could say anything, Yu answered for him. "Sure…it's all on me."

"All right! Let's do this!" Chie grinned widely. She felt so much better after letting it all out. She had someone who cared and two others who she can depend on as well. She and Yukiko weren't alone anymore…

…

Shadow Yukiko narrowed her eyes at Yu, Yosuke, and Chie when they ran up to her. **"Hmph… Looks like I had the wrong idea… You're no Princes… Die, you worthless commoners!"**

Shadow Yukiko let out a screech that terrified Yosuke to no end. Yosuke's skin was tinged blue and his body was trembling. Shadow Yukiko laughed and got out of her cage. She then used her talons to pick up the cage and flew up into the air.

"**Be gone!"** she suddenly shrieked as she stopped flapping her wings and let herself drop on Yosuke.

Luckily, for Yosuke, Tomoe moved him out of the way in time while Pixie used Patra to cure Yosuke. Afterwards, Tomoe set Yosuke down next to Yu and Yosuke and returned to attacking Shadow Yukiko.

"What happened?" Yosuke shook his head.

Yu crushed a card and Izanagi replaced Pixie. "You were inflicted with Fear and Pixie cured you…"

"Oh…guess that little pest isn't all that bad." Yosuke rubbed the back of his head. "Go, Jiraiya!"

Jiraiya threw his shuriken at Shadow Yukiko, but she quickly retreated into her cage before the shuriken hit her.

Yu bit her lip. "We need to get her out of that cage…"

"**Burn to Ashes!"** Shadow Yukiko screeched as she hopped out of her cage.

"Brace yourselves everyone!" Yu exclaimed.

Shadow Yukiko flapped her wings and sent out a powerful wave of flames at the group. With everyone guarding, the fire didn't do much damage, much to Shadow Yukiko's chagrin.

"**Grr…"** Shadow Yukiko was beginning to weaken, by the looks of her slouching. She was no longer inside her cage, but standing on top of it.

"Now's our chance!" Yosuke ran towards the cage and slammed his wrenches into the cage.

"**Get away!"** Shadow Yukiko flew away from the cage. She dodged another shuriken from Jiraiya. **"Don't touch me!"**

"She's out of the cage, guys!" Yosuke exclaimed.

Yu turned to Chie. "Chie, will you do the honors?"

"Gladly…" Chie adjusted her glasses. "Tomoe, you're up!"

Tomoe nodded and moved in towards Shadow Yukiko. Tomoe slashed at Shadow Yukiko a few times, but the Shadow avoided each hit. After a few more times, Tomoe decided to do something different. She summoned small shards of ice and attack Shadow Yukiko with them. Shadow Yukiko screeched and hurtled towards the floor.

"**Nooo!"**

_THUD!_

Red feathers were sent flying into the air as the area finally cleared up. The fires had died out and Shadow Yukiko reverted to her original form. She laid on the floor, her dress singed in places and her crown on the floor. All the malice in her expression was gone and replaced with a more somber look.

Chie looked sympathetically at Shadow Yukiko, only looking away when a hand touched her shoulder.

"Chie…" Yukiko looked into Chie's eyes.

"I'm sorry, Yukiko…" Chie said softly. "I was so wrapped up in myself that I didn't notice you suffering… Just like back then…"

"I didn't think about you either…" Yukiko placed a hand on Chie's wrist. "I just kept running away and left you to suffer on your own…I wonder if this is how you felt when you found me that day…knowing that your friend was keeping something from you…"

Chie frowned. "I was so scared that day…You looked so broken…"

Yukiko smiled warmly and patted Chie on the head. "Let's not keep anymore secrets from each other, okay?"

Chie sniffed. "Okay…"

Yukiko sighed and turned her attention to her Shadow, who turned away from her in response, almost in shame. Yukiko smiled sympathetically and walked over to her Shadow's side.

"I'm so sorry…" Yukiko helped her Shadow stand up. "I'm so sorry for not acknowledging you… 'I want to run away'… 'I want someone to save me'… You're right, those feelings are part of me, too. I understand now…You are me, right?"

Shadow Yukiko's eyes widened as Yukiko embraced her. Unable to find her voice, Shadow Yukiko nodded and closed her eyes. A blue light began to emit from her body until she disappeared into light. The instant she disappeared, a figure appeared before Yukiko.

The figure resembled a beautiful woman dressed in pink. She had short hair and yellow eyes. She almost appeared to have wings connected to her arms and back. After a few seconds, she disappeared as a glowing blue card floated gently into Yukiko's hands.

"The Priestess…" Yukiko said softly as the card disappeared into her being. "Is this…"

Chie nodded. "That's your Persona…"

"Konohana Sakuya…" Yukiko smiled. "What a nice name…ugh…"

_Thud!_

"Yukiko!" Chie ran to Yukiko, who was now on the floor.

"Are you okay?" Yosuke asked as he and Yu ran up to Yukiko.

Yukiko looked up. "Yes, I'm just a little tired…You all came to rescue me…?"

Chie nodded. "Of course!"

Yukiko turned to Chie and smiled. "Thank you…"

Chie was starting to feel emotional. "Ugh, don't even mention it… I'm just so glad you're safe…"

"It's finally over…" Yu remarked.

Yosuke laughed. "Yeah…what a day…"

"So…who threw you in here?" Teddie asked as he walked up to Yukiko.

Yukiko looked at Teddie. "Oh, it's you again…I never did get your name…"

"I'm Teddie!" Teddie chirped. "So, who threw you in?"

Yukiko looked down. "I don't know…I think…someone called my name…But my memory's a blur. I can't remember who it was… I'm sorry, um…Teddie."

Teddie frowned. "No new clues…"

Yosuke shook his head. "Not necessarily."

Yu nodded. "Now we know for sure that someone threw Amagi-san in here."

"Hrrmm…" Teddie growled. "Then it really isn't you guys…"

Yu sighed. "Are you satisfied now?"

Teddie looked nervously at Yu. "I-I always believed it wasn't you guys!"

A vein popped out on Yosuke's forehead. "You little…! You're one lying sack of honey…"

"Anyways!" Chie interrupted. "Let's hurry back home. Yukiko looks exhausted…Thanks again, Teddie!"

Yu sighed. "It's probably really late…"

"I'll make the excuse to tell my dad…" Yosuke rubbed the back of his head. "I suggest we head to my house right away."

"Tch, I guess I should call my uncle…" Yu wanted to avoid getting another lecture. Once was enough…

"W-Wait!" Teddie exclaimed. "You're leaving me here?"

Yosuke looked questioningly at Teddie. "Leaving you? What're you talking about? You live here."

"Well…yeah, but…" Teddie frowned.

"I'm sorry, Teddie…" Yukiko said apologetically a she walked over to Teddie. She placed her hand on his head and started petting his soft, blue fur. "I promise to come again… So be a good boy and wait here until then…"

Teddie closed his eyes and smiled. "R-Raaaawr!"

"Teddie, don't start…" Yu looked sternly at Teddie.

Teddie looked questioningly at Yu. "Whatever do you mean, Sensei?"

"Let's just get out of here…" Yosuke sighed. "I'm starting to feel the exhaustion kick in…"

Chie walked over to Yukiko. "C'mon, Yukiko, let's go…"

Yukiko nodded. "Y-Yeah…"

As the group made their way out of the castle, Yukiko couldn't help but recall the memories she had after she had cut her hair so short. She looked at Chie and smiled as she looked at her short hair. Even now, Chie still kept her hair short…just like Yukiko kept growing out her hair.

"_Maybe one day, she'll let it grow out again…"_ Yukiko thought as she gently touched Chie's hair.

"What are you doing?" Chie asked.

"Oh just thinking to myself…" Yukiko smiled. "About back then…"

…

* * *

_On the day she returned to school with her hair so drastically short, Yukiko found herself the target of everyone's taunting. The boys she had turned down turned against her in revenge. For nearly a month, Yukiko found herself turning to Chie for comfort. She had been unable to do anything but just endure it…until Chie had enough._

_Yukiko never forgot what Chie did for her the day it all ended. With a pair of scissors and the determination to get everyone off of Yukiko's back, Chie cut her hair in front of the whole class. Gone was the long hair she tried so hard to grow out as it held no importance to Chie, so long as the message went through. Should anyone decide to mess with Yukiko, they would have to go through Chie first and Chie would do __**anything**__ for Yukiko… Since then, Yukiko was finally free from all the torment._

_With a little help from Chie, Yukiko changed her number. It took a whole year for her hair to even out before she could let it grow out on its own again. Chie had since stopped letting her hair grow out in favor of helping Yukiko out. Since then, Yukiko made it her goal to remind Chie how grateful she was for just being there._

* * *

…

"Chie, thank you…"

"What for?"

"For everything…"

"No problem!"

…

…

* * *

A/N End of chapter and holy crap, I wasn't lying when I said this was Yukiko-centric and yeah, also, Chie-centric at bits. Not a lot of Yosuke and Yu moments in this chapter, but I guess that's why I named it the Priestess chapter.

Anyways, as you can see, I went through a lot with Yukiko's character. It all just started with a joke involving Sadako and then when I remembered how short Yukiko's hair was from looking at her _Persona 3 Portable_ cameo…and _Kimi ni Todoke_ and _Wallflower_, I just…yeah, it became a thing. I just wanted a reason to explain why Yukiko's hair was short and it somehow became a relevant part of the story involving Yukiko and Chie's Shadows. I guess that's how serendipity works.

Anyways, as for Chie…yeah, her cutting her wrists was something that came into mind hours after I uploaded chapter 10. It didn't help that I caught up with the recent Life chapter and Life…oh god, Life is my favorite manga. It has bullying, drama, and stuff, but dear god, the two main characters, Ayumu and Miki…their friendship reminds me of Yukiko and Chie. Continuing on, the thing that I noticed about Chie was that she always wore long sleeves or covered her wrists with her wristbands.

Then I remembered how she always beat herself down when given the chance, and the comment from her own Shadow, "I can't win as a girl…" just made me think "what if" and that's why Chie is like that. I hope I didn't overdo it, because it really is a serious problem. Then again, Yukiko and Chie both have problems and the two are making it easy for each other now that it's all over—the Shadows, that is.

I really do love the relationship between Chie and Yukiko, especially with how it was explored in the anime. These two in Persona 4 Golden have a double-team attack called Twin Dragon in which the two will team up after an All-out attack and use Tomoe and Konohana Sakuya to summon a dragon and a big flower to finish off the enemy. It's rather beautiful and fucking awesome. They have to be together in the group, though, so yeah…

Anyways, let's get onto the Arcana lesson of the day, starting with Chariot.

**VII- The Chariot**

**The Chariot is a symbol of victory, conquest, self-assertion, war and command.**** The Chariot shows a strong will, a strong personality, and at its best, victory and success. But it also is a symbol for controversial power, for contradictions that are not solved, but just controlled. In this, the trump also warns of overestimation and recklessness. With every new venture or beginning, one should check carefully whether the desired goal is compatible with one's life and inner self.**

**Additionally, the Chariot is a symbol for the armor we build up when moving forward in the process of self-assertion. It also alludes to the danger that we might mix this armor with our actual personality.**

The reversed Chariot symbolizes envy, addiction, low self-confidence, and abusive control. Chie has already shown aspects of the reversed Chariot. Okay, which Chariot out of the way, let's now move onto Priestess.

**II- The Priestess**

**The Priestess Arcana is a symbol of hidden knowledge or other untapped power, wisdom, female mystery and magic when it appears in tarot readings. The Priestess is also the feminine principle that balances the masculine force of the Magician. The Priestess is inner wisdom at its deepest, a wisdom that cannot be expressed in rational terms. Trying so, we would already falsify and restrict it. As a symbol for deeper knowledge, the card can express a feeling of darkness, which might also be a feeling of fear, but also a feeling of beauty. We know there is more inside than we can see.**

Being unable to make decisions and having a conflict of intellect are two things that are represented by the reversed Priestess. Basically, the Priestess means someone with knowledge and wisdom, yet the reversed version of it means someone unable to use that knowledge or someone not able to make decisions.

And that's our Arcana lesson of the day, folks! Time to get back to the chapter! The thing about the Charming Prince…I decided it would be appropriate if it looked like Chie…also, fanart.

This beauty here: 24 . media . tumblr tumblr _ m 6k1lk 12rg1r8chqro1 _ 500 . jpg

I hope it shows up, otherwise, tell me so I can post the link on my profile.

Welp, now that Shadow Yukiko is out of the way, we can get to Social Links! But before that, potential house sleepover at Yosuke's! Yeah, you know you guys want it… :D

Plus, everyone in this effing investigation group needs time to recover from shit hitting the whirling device. Chapters from here on out for a while are gonna be Social Links…no more action for a while.

This is why I like rescuing everyone immediately when I can because then I can focus on Social Links without any hassles. Trust me when I say there is one Social Link you HAVE to take care to manage your time to rank up to a certain point because it has a set end point where it will automatically rank up on its own due to story events….yeah.

I guess that's it for this chapter! Hoo boy, I sure did a lot…I need some humor right now, but I guess that's what the next chapter is for. Hopefully you guys enjoyed this chapter.

Oh, and before I forget, shout out goes to **Cutiekuts** for being reviewer #100! Also, notable mention goes to **Pokeprof** and his lovely constructive criticism! I always like it when someone mentions how this story has drawn them in…it really does mean a lot to me.

Also, a bit of a heads up…aside from Homestuck, I have also jumped on the Ke$hastuck bandwagon and I won't be getting off anytime soon. Seriously, sounds stupid, but it's fucking amazing and hilarious. Give it a chance! It's on mspaintfanventures and you really don't have to read Homestuck before it, but it does help with getting the gist of certain jokes…yeah, still, give it a chance!

Anyways, review if you wish! Constructive criticism is always welcomed, but NO FLAMES. Hope you guys stick around because I feel rather in the mood to write! Just not now because it's almost 1 AM and I kinda need sleep…

Till next time, guys! KD out! XD


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